Botanica Variegata

"Contrary to popular belief, it is not the human species that selects the houseplant to furnish the domestic environment; it is the plant itself that proliferates in the area of its own choosing." Botanica Variegata creates a system of classification and taxonomy of plants, according to their online presence on Instagram. An algorithmic structure analyses tens of thousands of plant images in relation to their surroundings – ranging from cats, dogs, colours, design objects and art to human demographics. In the exhibition, different plant species, orders and families compete with one another through a special system that assesses, favours, and values photographic settings; the more homogenous the context of the plant, the higher its score. Plants in the winning compositions are presented as part of the installation. The photogenic arrangement of the exhibition will provoke visitors of the Milan Design Week to form a feedback loop that influences both the digital and the physical world. What is first seen as a variety ultimately results in a process of homogenization.