The film Showhouse portrays the botanical garden as a magical place, the charm of which lies in the interweaving of time spaces and world areas, and at the same time explores the abysmal nature of the botanical project. Plants have been shipped to European cities since the beginning of colonialism, gathered there and put on display. The exhibition of plants from around the world was intended to provide the metropolitan public with an image of the colonised territories. In addition, plants were cultivated and gardeners and colonial officials were trained to guarantee their economic productivity on the plantations in the colonies. Thus, botanical gardens were a part of European colonialism and its legitimisation.
A look back at the history of the botanical garden is combined with a look at present ideas of the future: while colonial plant collections of the late 19th century tell of the categorisation and domination of the “other”, in times of climate catastrophe, notions of gardens expanding into space, soothe fears about the limits of late capitalist civilisations and impending catastrophe.