INSECThibition

 

Insects are vital to life on earth and essential for agriculture. As an ancient life form, insects continue to evolve and adapt at rapid rates, providing many lessons in survival.

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As industrial agriculture has expanded across the globe, insects have increasingly been treated in a binary fashion, either labeled as ‘pests’ needing to be eradicated or viewed as ‘beneficial insects’ that can be put to work. This binary shapes attitudes towards insects, informing the way we engage with them. Chemical industries have capitalized on ‘pest control solutions’ seen as an essential part of producing enough food for rapidly growing global populations. These methods of farming have contributed to habitat destruction and impacted complex ecological relationships. While some insect populations have come to pose significant threats to yields, many have become extinct while others face extinction.

Insect plagues are part of our collective memory, however, this was not the norm in pre-industrial agriculture. These events were seen as portents often carrying messages for the human world. Recent studies have revealed drastic drops in insect populations over the past two decades. At this point in time, it is the mass extinction of insects that begs us to question our relationships with them and wider ecosystems.

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This exhibition focuses on the importance and wonder of insects. It brings together people who spend time getting to know insects, from artists to farmers and entomologists. It celebrates these tiny and enormously important beings and draws attention to the need to bring them into the conversation about food and life on this planet.

 

CURATED BY

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ZAYAAN KHAN AND 

MAYA MARSHAK

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COLLABORATING ARTISTS

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THEMBA MKHANGELI

CARA STACEY

DIANA OCHOLLA

NEIL RUSCH

SIMON KOHLER

AMY RUSCH

VANESSA BLACK

SUJAY SANAN

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Agroecology for the 21sy Century Conference Website / Arts Programme : INSECThibition

Article / Art that explains Agroecology