“Flowers could have been endlessly naïve, and the virus-infected beauty that became the object of a frenzied pursuit ultimately led to their demise.”
In the middle of the 17th century, tulips were introduced to Europe from St. Louis, and because of their rarity, traders inflated their prices, and people frantically stocked up on tulip bulbs, ignoring the fact that they were flowers in their own right. The Eternal Augustus is one of the most beautiful varieties, this kind of tulip petals are pure white, broken by the flame-like deep red lines, extremely rare. Research has shown that the colour of the Eternal Augustus is caused by a virus transmitted by aphids that ‘breaks’ the flower, but it weakens the bulb and eventually kills the plant, making it impossible to reproduce. What did the tulip do wrong?
My thoughts on how to reflect human traces in the age of capitalism and how to get along with nature have led me to focus on tulips, a flower that has been heavily cultivated and genetically modified. This work will provide the audience with a reflection on capitalism's intrusive behaviour towards tulips and consumer society, and an opportunity to examine our attitudes towards nature and society. Through the tulip, a symbolic natural treasure, the work explores the complex relationship between man and nature, and man and consumption in contemporary society, thus triggering deeper reflection and discussion.
Design a booklet and a set of motion posters were designed to expose how consumerism has shaped the commodified tulip. The content is about the evolution of the tulip from plant to commodity, how consumerism affects the genetic diversity of the tulip and the social implications of this phenomenon, provoking deeper critical thinking and calling for the preservation of the tulip's original genes.