Colonialism on the Window Sill

This exhibition highlights ten plants that have adorned European living rooms and balconies for centuries, even though their natural habitats lie far beyond the continent. These plants share intertwined histories with our ethnographic collections; some even traveled alongside collected objects on long naval voyages before eventually reaching Europe and its museums.

In addition to the long-standing demand for medicinal plants and agricultural goods—today often cultivated as large-scale “cash crops” for export—the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries witnessed a growing fascination with exotic flora. Imported plants were not only admired for their beauty but also evaluated for their potential economic and scientific value in Europe. Among the species featured in the exhibition is the Norfolk Pine (Araucaria), discovered on Norfolk Island during James Cook’s second voyage in 1774. The story of the African violet is connected to a German colonial expedition in 1886, from which an object now housed in the Weltmuseum Wien collection originates. Geraniums (Pelargonium), a familiar presence in European window boxes, trace their origins to South Africa, where they are traditionally valued for their medicinal properties. This example points to the broader history of exploitation, as countries of origin have often not benefited from the commercialization of their native plants. International frameworks such as the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) seek to address this imbalance by establishing guidelines for fair participation in profits and by confronting issues of biopiracy—an increasingly urgent matter in the context of climate change.

The exhibition is presented in the participatory space zam, offering free and accessible entry points while approaching these complex historical and political issues in an engaging and playful manner.