A Botanical Myth for a National Symbol

National symbols produce a way of seeing and hence acting in the world. What reality has been propagated by the symbolism and narratives that surround edelweiss, the national flower of Austria? How does it affect the environmental contemplation of the Austrian landscape? Based on Johanna Gschwandtl’s personal position as an Austrian citizen, the flower’s imagery is dissected and a narrative constructed through historical, political and personal images presented in the form of a herbarium. The project demonstrates the blurry borders between reality and fiction when it comes to national identity and symbols.