The University of Navarra Museum presents 'Florilegium' by Joan Fontcuberta

The University of Navarra Museum presents, on March 20, the latest creation of the photographer Joan Fontcuberta, Florilegium. On the same day, March 20 at 7 p.m. a masterclass by the artist will take place, with free entry upon withdrawal of invitation.

Later, at 8 p.m., will be the opening of the exhibition, which will be on the walls of the MUN until next June. The artist has used artificial intelligence to create a fascinating imaginary flora that moves between reality and fiction. In the words of MUN's Artistic Director, Valentín Vallhonrat, "it deals with issues that affect the nature, appearance and image of sentient beings and things".

Florilegium is inspired by the engravings and drawings of Latin American flora from the 19th century, from the University of Navarra Museum Collection. From the Enlightenment, the desire to discover new civilizations arose in Europe, which gave rise to expeditions that had scientists and illustrators in their ranks. From the task of observing the vegetation, came the sketchbooks and volumes of expeditions and treasures. Fontcuberta starts from these works to generate his own species, which also bear names of his invention, such as Levenfelda Augusta, in tribute to MUN's artistic director, Rafael Levenfeld, who died last November. With this, the artist dialogues with the exhibition Una terra promesa. From the century of lights to the birth of photography, which can be visited at the University of Navarra Museum until next August.

Joan Fontcuberta (Barcelona, ​​​​1955) has made numerous projects with the plant world as the protagonist, such as the Herbarium series (1982-85). Four decades later, he remakes this series and proposes new imaginary species. While in the first work he parodied the photographs of botanical specimens taken by the German Karl Blossfeldt, now in Florilegium he replaces the collage of objects and the conventional photography he used then with the new tools of algorithmic visualization, using mechanisms of Artificial Intelligence (AI).