Poison or gift
In the photographic work "Poison or Gift", plants that are considered poisonous today are staged. The portraits of these dangerous yet sometimes useful plants show their splendour, danger and tell many a traditional story.
Cyclamen has a homeopathic effect on headaches and migraines. The root tuber is highly poisonous, and its saponins also have a toxic effect on animals. Earlier fishermen took advantage of this: fish that ate the tuber fell into a stupor and were easy to catch.
Oleander is toxic due to the glycoside oleandrin. The lethal dose for animals is dependent on their body weight. The number of dried oleander leaves needed to kill an animal is 0.005% of its body weight.
Christmas roses have a homeopathic effect on kidney inflammation and urinary poisoning. They contain the poisons saponin, helleborine and protoanemonin. In the 17th century, they were also used in veterinary medicine for coughs and poisonings. A hole was pierced in the animal's ear and a root inserted.
Red foxglove strengthens the heart muscle, but the dosage is tricky due to the narrow borderline between the healing power and toxicity of digitalis glycosides. In some legends the plant is also called “purple foxglove”.
