Neo Botanica – An Atlas of Artificially Generated Flora is a book project and augmented reality exhibition from Vetro Editions, curated by Luca Bendandi and Freya Marshall. It is a new take on the world of botanicals, showcasing the work of 32 contemporary artists who create gardens of imaginary flora. It blooms with artificial hybrid flowers and computer-coded bioforms in a collection of extraordinary new species. 

Since time immemorial, plants have symbolised more than what meets the eye: beauty, fragility, renewal, the delicate balance of life on Earth. They equilibrate our environment, provide sustenance, and act as living archives, telling us about our past and where we come from. Increasingly, they also foreshadow our future, the natural world’s shrinking diversity a harbinger of what is to come on our warming planet.

Neo Botanica is a reimagining of the natural world, exploring the intersection of botany and digital technology. The featured artists use AI, CGI, 3D modelling, and computer code to imagine uncharted botanical realms: made up of flowers lost to extinction, hybrids of flora that have never existed, and plant structures dictated by algorithmic possibilities. 

The resulting works are as diverse and surprising as the natural world itself. There are plants that sprout infinite tendrils; flowers that – brought to life through augmented reality videos – evolve and adapt, sometimes merging into new species entirely. Presented in the form of a traditional botanical book, the line between the real and imagined is blurred, where the flora depicted is familiar but uncanny. Is it utopia or dystopia? The answer is never quite clear. 

As we navigate the 21st century, our relationship with the natural world is increasingly fraught. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation are reshaping landscapes and ecosystems at an alarming rate. In the face of crises, art has always played a vital role in inspiring action and raising awareness. One of the aims when creating Neo Botanica was to do just that: presenting artworks that depict nature through cutting-edge technologies, fostering a deeper connection to the natural spaces around us. 

At a time when technology is often viewed as the antithesis of nature, this endeavour might initially appear paradoxical. How can technology bring us closer to the natural world when it so often feels like the force pushing us away? However, the hope is that Neo Botanica captures your attention and refocuses it on the needs of the real world. Rather than being two sides in conflict, technology is used to heal nature rather than harm it. Neo Botanica reminds us that the future of flora – and indeed, of all life on Earth – depends on our ability to innovate and collaborate. Within its pages, both the natural and the technological can coexist.