Flora by Federico Scarchilli, developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, examines the interdependence between human health and botanical life through the lens of pharmacognosy. Conceived during a global moment of heightened attention to medicine and care, the project reflects on how plants sustain and shape the pharmaceutical industry. Scarchilli cited inspiration from the writings of botanist Stefano Mancuso and the music project Botanica by Deproducers, both of which deepened his inquiry into the intelligence and vitality of plant life.
Scarchilli positions plants not just as symbols of nature but as biochemical agents—producers of pharmacologically active compounds that have shaped modern therapeutics, with around 40 percent of monomolecular drugs derived from plant species. The project connects this scientific insight with a broader reflection on the cultural and emotional dimensions of our relationship with nature.
Visually, Flora consists of diptychs that juxtapose photographic portraits of medicinal plants—some cultivated by the artist himself—with images of the pharmaceutical products derived from them. These pairings are minimalist in composition and rendered in tone-on-tone palettes, creating a visual continuity that emphasizes the origins of modern drugs. Pills are displayed in neat, symmetrical rows, and several of the pharmaceutical images are digitally elaborated, contributing to an impression of clinical precision and conceptual order.
The project’s international recognition was marked by its 2024 Sony World Photography Award in Still Life and subsequent exhibitions in London, Milan, and Bari, situating Flora within broader debates on ecology, medicine, and photographic practice.
