Painful truths, surprising revelations and fresh perspectives on humanity’s complex relationships with the botanical world emerge from our exhibition Silent Archive.

International artists reveal RBGE’s archives in new ways, challenging us to discover hidden narratives and hear long-ignored voices that are preserved in our collections. Significant works that tell stories of scientific discoveries, colonial histories and cultural heritage are displayed for the first time. Plant artistry, photography, music and more help convey how these archives shape our view of history, whose past they represent and how they might inspire change.

Silent Archive features material from RBGE’s collections alongside work from artists Amanda Cobbett, Amanda Thomson, Annalee Davis, Cynthia Fan, Hannah Imlach, Işık Güner, Jacqui Pestell, Janise Yntema, Karine Polwart, Laurie Clark, Pippa Murphy, Sarah Roberts, Sharon Tingey, Shiraz Bayjoo, Sonia Mehra Chawla and Wendy McMurdo.

Silent Archive is supported by Players of People's Postcode Lottery, the Outset Transformative Grant, and the National Lottery through Creative Scotland.

Image: Sabal umbraculifera in the Old Palm House, published in The Gardeners' Chronicle, 19 December 1874.