It is a semi-fictional encyclopedia of botany, in which the author has interwoven truth and fiction. It all starts from an untruth fabricated by her: that artificial plants have been accepted as real plants in the world of botany. Plants that linger quietly in the corner of a room or on the street, without seeking water nor light ー the so called ‘artificial plants’. They are never observed nor researched scientifically like natural plants, yet they keep spreading steadily and quietly in our everyday lives. Sae was interested in such a mysterious being, and made a study trip to some artificial plants factories in Guangzhou (China). The world of artificial plants is humorously delineated with her academic-like depictions of the travel report and the photographs of 70 leaves that she has collected.

 

"This is, so to say, a semi-imaginary natural history book which aims to create a chance that the characteristic of each artificial plant (hereinafter this is called “Anthropophyta”) is observed and appreciated with a sense-of-wonder like natural plants."

 

This publication is made possible by the generous support of Creative Industries Fund NL and Stichting Cultuur Eindhoven.

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'Anthropophyta / 人工植物門'

Author: Sae Honda

Publisher: torch press (JP)

Graphic design: Akiko Wakabayashi

Proof reading: Nao Amino (JP), Marika Seo (EN) 

Distribution: torch press (JP) , Idea Books (international)

Format: 140 x 190mm／Soft cover／176P 

Language: English／Japanese

ISBN: 978-4-907562-25-0

Edition: 750 copies

 

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「造花が植物学上で正式に植物と認められた」という、自身が勝手に作ったストーリーから始まる、虚実をおりまぜたセミフィクションの植物図鑑。部屋の片隅や街角で、水も光も求めず静かに佇む「造花」は天然植物のように科学的に研究や観察されることなく、ひそやかにそして確実にわれわれの日常の中で繁殖し続けています。そんな未開の植物群に興味をひかれ、独自に身の回りの造花の採集・観察を始め、造花の工場が集まる中国・広州を視察。工場見学の様子と採集した70枚の造花の葉っぱの観察記録が、学術的な体裁でまとめられています。

 

ー本書は造花（以下、アンソロポフィタ）のひとつひとつの個性が天然植物のように、センス・オブ・ワンダーをもって観察され、愛でられるような機会をつくろうと試みた半空想博物誌なのだ。

（プロローグより)

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​本書はCreative Industries Fund NL(オランダ)とStichting Cultuur Eindhoven(オランダ)の協賛で刊行されました。

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TO BUY

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