Join research-driven tours offering exclusive behind-the-scenes access to unique locations across the city, guided by emerging curators.
Parita Rajeevbhai
ZHdK Research Tours Othered Worlds and the Western Gaze
Description:
The exhibition ‘Botanical Memories’ by We are AIA at Botanical Garden provoke us to question the triumph of modern scientific knowledge over other forms. We start the walk navigating the history of division between the human and the non-human beings. Through the artworks, we reflect on historical ruptures and trace the persistence of marginalised forms of knowledge. Acknowledging the colonial reminiscence of botanical gardens - that of its role in historical trade networks and the extraction of plants from their existing ecosystem, the walk continues through the Old Town of Zurich - a major trade and economic hub since the medieval times.
Culminating the walk at the ETH Bildarchiv (Image Archive), we extend this inquiry to consider divisions not only between species, but also amongst humans, examining how the West has constructed perceptions of the “other.” Through images and prints, we attempt to form an understanding of how the scientific marker of progress reduces both plants and humans to objects of study, labour, and commodity. We also discuss its replication in art through the question/absence of representation.
Meeting point: Gessner Garden, Old Botanical Garden
2 hours | EN
Bio
Parita Upadhyaya is an architect, researcher, and curator whose work engages with archival research and colonial historiography. Working at the intersection of architecture and curatorial practice, her experience spans architectural exhibitions, interpretive planning, and teaching. Her research focuses on processes of meaning-making in the production of culture, inquiring how histories are constructed, mediated, and represented.
Join research-driven tours offering exclusive behind-the-scenes access to unique locations across the city, guided by emerging curators.
Parita Rajeevbhai
ZHdK Research Tours Othered Worlds and the Western Gaze
Description:
The exhibition ‘Botanical Memories’ by We are AIA at Botanical Garden provoke us to question the triumph of modern scientific knowledge over other forms. We start the walk navigating the history of division between the human and the non-human beings. Through the artworks, we reflect on historical ruptures and trace the persistence of marginalised forms of knowledge. Acknowledging the colonial reminiscence of botanical gardens - that of its role in historical trade networks and the extraction of plants from their existing ecosystem, the walk continues through the Old Town of Zurich - a major trade and economic hub since the medieval times.
Culminating the walk at the ETH Bildarchiv (Image Archive), we extend this inquiry to consider divisions not only between species, but also amongst humans, examining how the West has constructed perceptions of the “other.” Through images and prints, we attempt to form an understanding of how the scientific marker of progress reduces both plants and humans to objects of study, labour, and commodity. We also discuss its replication in art through the question/absence of representation.
Meeting point: Gessner Garden, Old Botanical Garden
2 hours | EN
Bio
Parita Upadhyaya is an architect, researcher, and curator whose work engages with archival research and colonial historiography. Working at the intersection of architecture and curatorial practice, her experience spans architectural exhibitions, interpretive planning, and teaching. Her research focuses on processes of meaning-making in the production of culture, inquiring how histories are constructed, mediated, and represented.
Good to know
Highlights
- 2 hours
- In person
Location
Old Botanical Garden
71 Talstrasse
8001 Zürich
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