explore the magical, spiritual significance of plants to human life in ‘the botanical mind’

the camden art centre’s ‘the botanical mind: art, mysticism and the cosmic tree’ explores the ongoing significance of the plant kingdom to human life, consciousness and spirituality. the exhibition brings together works by over 60 visionary, surrealist, modern, outsider, indigenous amazonian and contemporary artists. in response to the COVID-19 crisis and the closure of galleries due to the pandemic, the exhibition has transformed into a new online project, which brings together digital commissions, podcasts, films, texts, images and audio in an expanding archive.installation views of ‘the botanical mind: art, mysticism and the cosmic tree’ at camden art centre, 2020

all installation images by rob harris

organized by the camden art centre, ‘the botanical mind online’ looks at the links between plants, humans and the universe, revealing the connections that bind us across 500 years of art. the exhibition positions the plant as both a universal symbol found in almost every civilisation and religion across the globe, and the most fundamental but misunderstood form of life on our planet. bringing together works by over 60 artists, it investigates the secular and spiritual aspects of plants, their ongoing significance to human life, and how we engage with and activate them in culture, counter-culture, art and music.c.g. jung, the tree of life

‘the botanical mind’ was originally conceived as a trans-generational group exhibition, but has been postponed due to COVID-19. in the meantime, camden art centre has launched a complimentary online program of new artist commissions, podcasts, films, texts, images and audio, expanding on and enriching the ideas and issues informing the show. the online exhibition features six ‘chapters’: the cosmic tree; sacred geometry; indigenous cosmologies; astrological botany; as within, so without; and vegetal ontology. discover more here.

delfina muñoz de toro, la raiz (the root), 2020. acrylic on canvas. courtesy the artistc.g. jung, the philosophical tree

karl blossfeldt, plant studies, urformen der kunst: photographische pflanzenbilder, 1928. photograph, 31.2 × 24.2 cm. public domain

karl blossfeldt, plant studies, urformen der kunst: photographische pflanzenbilder, 1928. photograph, 31.2 × 24.2 cm. public domain

kunstformen der natur [artforms of nature], 1904) – organisms classified as mycetozoa

adam chodzko, o, you happy roots, branch and mediatrix, still, 2020. two screen video, hildegard von bingen’s lingua ignotae and image recognition algorithm. image courtesy the artist

detail from: hortus sanitatis, 1491. credit: wellcome collection. attribution 4.0 international (cc by 4.0). photo: laurie auchterlonie/wellcome collection

tree of life, coromandel coast, india, circa. 1760. painted and dyed cotton, 318 x 212 cm. prahlad bubbar, london

delfina muñoz de toro, vimi yuve (fruit of the serpent), 2019. watercolour on paper, 61 x 45.5 cm. credit: courtesy the artist

joachim koester, untitled (cannabis #3), 2019. silver gelatin print. courtesy the artist and galleri nicolai wallner, copenhagen

exhibition info:

name: the botanical mind: art, mysticism and the cosmic tree

location: camden art centre | the botanical mind online

curator: gina buenfeld and martin clark