Between the 14th and 17th centuries, there was widespread knowledge and use of toxic plants in Europe, such as Atropa belladonna, Datura stramonium, and Mandragora. These plants, found in fields and forests, were central to a body of knowledge that intertwined magic, folk traditions, and botany. The toxic alkaloids they contain were exploited for various purposes, from ritual practices to the desire to escape the harsh realities of the time.
The use of these plants can induce mydriasis, a dilation effect on the pupil, when the body undergoes altered states of consciousness under the influence of these psychoactive substances, causing sensations of wonder and delirium.
With this project, I aim to interpret a historical phenomenon that has remained behind the scenes of Western European history, specifically concerning the peasant society oppressed by feudalism and persecuted by the Inquisition. This social reality was largely characterized by the use of psychoactive plants for medicinal, ritualistic, and escapist purposes. My perspective seeks to immerse itself in moments when intoxication transforms the relationship with the perception of reality, presenting it as morbid, unsettling, and timeless.
