Natasja Kensmil drew inspiration from 17th-century still lives, in which flowers in full bloom warned of the finiteness of earthly existence. These flowers often came from the colonies overseas; bulbs and seeds were cultivated here as a status symbol. Their beauty is thus also a reminder of colonial exploitation by the Dutch. The title of Kensmil’s series refers to Baudelaire’s poetry collection of the same name, on the beauty of evil and other dualities typical of humanity and the world. [text 2025]