The Botanical: Beauty and Peril

This major exhibition explores the abundant beauty of the botanical world and the threats that assail it.

The Botanical: Beauty and Peril draws from the renowned collection of Janet Holmes à Court and the AGWA Collection to present a vivid, involving and sometimes disturbing journey through the diverse representation by Australian artists of the glorious kingdom of plants.

From wildflower rooms to bush fire photography, the show both celebrates the natural beauty of landscapes and plants, and raises bracing issues about environmental destruction and the land rights of Australia’s First Peoples. By turns immersive, stimulating, moving and inspiring, the exhibition is designed to stimulate conversations about our botanical world and how we live in it, and live with it.

A number of events will run in conjunction with this exhibition, including a climate change panel discussion, symposium, guided tours, collector talk, curator tours, workshops and much more. Visit the website to plan your visit.

Part of the What On Earth project at Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery (opens May), Midland Junction Arts Centre (Aug), Mundaring Arts Centre (Sep) and Kings Park Festival (Sep).

Image credits: Eva Fernandez Anigozanthos flavidus 2011. Archival inkjet print on Ilford Galerie Pearl paper (laminated), 100 x 150 cm, edition AP/6. © the artist. Janet Holmes à Court Collection. Conor O'Brien Bushfire 2004 (detail). Digital print, edition 3/5, 66.3 x 96.8 cm (image). State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased through the Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation: TomorrowFund, 2009.