Manifesta purposely strives to keep its distance from what are often seen as the dominant centres of artistic production, instead seeking fresh and fertile terrain for the mapping of a new cultural topography.

Zheng Bo, CN

Pteridophilia explores the eco-queer movement and its potential. Seven young people walk through a forest in Taiwan, making close contact with ferns. They establish emotional and physical relationships with the plants, relying on their bodies rather than on words. Ferns are very common plants in Taiwan, and are valued by local tribes but were not considered to be valuable by Japanese colonists.