The Unloved utilises both botanical science and Gothic literature to draw parallels with contemporary politics of fear, uncertainty and aggression. The terminology used to describe weeds as ‘invasive’ or ‘undesirable’, ‘damaging’ or ‘unbelonging’ is language we see reflected in social and political rhetoric directed towards refugees, queer and marginalised Others. The work seeks to re-frame this language and image of the weed as one that is essential to an entangled and blooming life. This story is told through the life of the common dandelion and its histories as a revered healing plant, a troublesome weed, a scientific specimen and its many appearances in art and literature. Weaving together in-depth research with the voices of botanists, healers, gardeners, migrants and writers; a multiplicity of voices highlight the complexities of language, attitudes and interconnections we share with our more-than-human kin.

Defying expected scientific documentary conventions, The Unloved tells these multiple perspectives through the lens of the botanical Gothic genre. These stories, popular with Victorian horror writers and later more contemporary science fiction, often framed plants and invasive species and stand-ins for the ‘other’ and as metaphors for colonial expansion. Our version flips this, giving voice to the plant and offering a non-human perspective on the notion of ‘invasion’.

The soundtrack consists of sound recordings of the actual weed we have been studying, using novel techniques from science, such as vibrometers and ultrasonic microphones. Few are aware that the world around us is in fact full of plant sounds. By using these sounds in our soundscape, we place emphasis on the unseen and unheard life all around us.