Flosiversum pulcherrimus

The project “Flosiversum pulcherrimus” by artists Karolina Wlazło-Malinowska and Arkadiusz Rataj is a fictional Latin name that can be translated as “flower of beauty.” It describes plant species modified by humans for aesthetic and utilitarian reasons. The existence of the project raises questions about the ethics of unlimited exploitation of natural resources. It happens for both living and non-living, without consideration for their well-being and rights.

The first installment of the “Flosiversum pulcherrimus” series is the Petunia Cultivars (NightSky) model. The artists recreated a popular balcony plant in an unnatural, enlarged scale. This serves as a reflection on the creation of new varieties of natural species in the context of declining biodiversity.  It raises questions about the justification of human desires to beautify and modify nature purely for aesthetic purposes.

The work was exhibited in 2023 at the “499 Seconds” exhibition at the ArtWalk gallery in Warsaw.