Duty of Remembrance

The Jardin d’Agronomie Tropicale in Paris was created in 1899. The greenhouses were filled with thousands of plants, taken from their native environment, analysed, and then mass grown in French colonies. However, these structures have been derelict since the mid-twentieth century. As the buildings deteriorate, our knowledge of their botanical histories starts to disappear. Can we uncover the forgotten stories of the greenhouses’ colonial past, present abandonment and contemporary relevance through the medium of plants? Natural products non-native to our continent are gradually integrating into our everyday lives, yet their stories of origin, transportation and cultivation are rarely told. By curating an exhibition to educate ourselves on this difficult past, Héloïse Floc'h offers a perspective of critique and reflection.