In the past, painters would place a beetle, a precious stone or a string of pearls at the foot of a vase containing splendid bouquets. These small objects and insects have long been interpreted as pretexts for meditation on the principle of vanitas: like flowers, riches and life are ephemeral. Whether they were spiritual reflections or homages to the delicate nature of plants, these highly decorative paintings remain, in any case, timeless. In the same way, Katharina von Flotow’s timeless compositions create a delicate world that inexorably decays, drawing the viewer into a dreamlike meditation that is also open to a thousand interpretations.
(Mayte Garcia)

Katharina von Flotow, who was born in Canada and lives and works in Geneva, is an audio-visual, film, design and photography artist. A director of documentary films (Le musée d’Hitler, Le grand voyage de Darwin, Jean Jacques Rousseau tout dire, Seed Warriors, Ce cher Musée…), the artist creates a personal world in parallel with her artistic research. In this photographic work, she explores the passage of time through the world of plants.