Herbarius Rewilded

Herbarius Rewilded: From Medicinal Herbs to Modern Weeds is a research-based, interdisciplinary project that reimagines the 1484 Herbarius Latinus, a foundational book of European medicinal botany, as a narrative of empire and migration, environmental disruption and resilience, told through plants introduced by colonial settlers for their healing gardens.

Martin's research revealed that more than one third of the plants in the original text now appear in invasive-species databases and are targeted for chemical eradication, yet they continue to thrive in human-altered landscapes, often taking on new roles that support pollinators, stabilize soils, and restore depleted habitats. Once valued for their curative properties, these weeds embody the entwined historical, economic, and ecological forces underlying biodiversity loss in the 21st century.

This series of mixed-media paintings is designed as pages from a fragmented manuscript. Each work combines brush calligraphy, drawn from the ancient materia medica text printed in the Herbarius, with illustrations inspired by medieval woodblock prints. Marginalia, handwritten notes observed in the original book, consist of both modern botanical descriptions of each plant and the chemical formulae of recommended herbicides, environmental toxins that impact species from microbes to mammals.

Through art, history, and science, Herbarius Rewilded offers a nuanced perspective of historical and contemporary forces underlying biodiversity loss, and invites reflection on the complex roles of introduced species, including their potential contributions to ecological restoration and resilience.