Leiden University Student Repository

Mihailoff-Napoleao Coelho, Alexandra (2025)

Exploring the symbol of Nettle amid Dehydrated Landcapes

Bachelor thesis | Kunstgeschiedenis (BA)

This paper examines the artwork Dehydrated Landscapes by Jorge Menna Barreto, focusing on its use of dehydrated nettle as a means to challenge anthropocentric perspectives towards plants. By employing a text from the artist alongside concepts from critical plant studies, the research investigates how Barreto’s work prompts a reevaluation of human-plant relationships. The study employs a visual analysis of the artwork, contextualizing it within the broader discourse on the Anthropocene and contemporary art. Results indicate that Barreto’s use of dehydrated nettle symbolically underscores the agency and essential roles of plants, disrupting traditional human-centered views. This deconstruction of the nature-culture dichotomy and emphasis on interconnectedness fosters a more integrated ecological awareness. The conclusion posits that Dehydrated Landscapes serves as a critical visual medium that challenges anthropocentric perspectives through advocating for a deeper recognition of the...Show moreThis paper examines the artwork Dehydrated Landscapes by Jorge Menna Barreto, focusing on its use of dehydrated nettle as a means to challenge anthropocentric perspectives towards plants. By employing a text from the artist alongside concepts from critical plant studies, the research investigates how Barreto’s work prompts a reevaluation of human-plant relationships. The study employs a visual analysis of the artwork, contextualizing it within the broader discourse on the Anthropocene and contemporary art. Results indicate that Barreto’s use of dehydrated nettle symbolically underscores the agency and essential roles of plants, disrupting traditional human-centered views. This deconstruction of the nature-culture dichotomy and emphasis on interconnectedness fosters a more integrated ecological awareness. The conclusion posits that Dehydrated Landscapes serves as a critical visual medium that challenges anthropocentric perspectives through advocating for a deeper recognition of the consequences of aridification on plant life.Show less

nettle, environmental art, aridification, critical plant studies, sustainability, ethnobotanical knowledge

Author

Mihailoff-Napoleao Coelho, Alexandra

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Supervisors

Stephanie Noach

ECTS Credits

10

Language

en