“Constant Bloom follows the discovery of the longest butterfly migration, spanning Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. My photographs trace both the path of the Painted Lady butterflies and the people they encounter, offering an allegory for our delicate, interconnected, and resilient world.”- Lucas FogliaAt first glance, Constant Bloom appears to be a straightforward visual story of an impressive natural phenomenon: a butterfly species migrating between the south and the north in search of food. But the Painted Lady's journey also reveals a deeper truth. Interwoven with images of butterflies are photographs of boats crossing the Mediterranean and of refugees who, often displaced by climate change, are forced to seek new lives far from home.For millions of years, Painted Lady butterflies have migrated between Africa, the Middle East, and Europe in search of blooming wildflowers. The Painted Lady makes the longest migratory journey of any butterfly in the world. This phenomenon was recently discovered. Scientific research shows that in February the butterflies begin migrating north from the African grasslands. They cross the Sahara and the Mediterranean and continue over the snowy Alps, as far as Scandinavia, before returning south in September. Driven by the search for blooming flowers, ten generations cover roughly 15,000 kilometers in stages. Each Painted Lady lives about five weeks and can fly up to 4,000 kilometers before its wings wear out. By laying eggs along the way, the next generation of butterflies can continue the journey.As climate change shifts when and where wildflowers bloom, these resilient butterflies increasingly rely on human-planted parks, farms, and gardens to survive. Constant Bloom weaves together the story of this delicate yet determined species with that of people, drawing poignant parallels between the butterflies and refugees who follow similar routes in search of safety and sustenance. The series offers a message of hope and resilience in the face of environmental and geopolitical uncertainty. The publication accompanied the 2025 exhibition at Fotomuseum Den Haag.
Community Notes