The Blue Flower Syndrome

"How do algorithmic systems shape and confine social, cultural, and political interactions? A clue might be in the iris dataset, collected in 1934 by British eugenicist Ronald Fisher to develop an algorithm that discriminated and classified the physical characteristics of three different types of flowers. He intended to subsequently use the algorithm on humans, developing a scientifically verified white supremacy. This algorithm remains foundational in machine learning, which relies on the classification and discrimination of data and operates the backend of today’s digital platforms.

Referencing the performance of online influencers and the aesthetics of scientific dissection theatres, The Blue Flower Syndrome is a narrative display that warns against ignoring the political infrastructure rendered invisible by the complexity of computational systems. At a time when right-wing politics have a stronghold, it is important to recognise how the hidden values of these systems are shaping our lives."