Erwin Panofsky stated in the 1940s that “man is indeed the only animal to leave records behind him, for he is the only animal whose products ‘recall to mind’ an idea distinct from their material existence.” Expression of the Superorganism challenges Panofsky’s assertion by employing ants in the creation of works of art. Here, Dodd Art Education PhD student Jiayi “Eva” Guo and UGA Entomology postdoctoral fellow Haolin “Horace” Zeng work with red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) to explore three forms of animal-mediated creation processes. 

First, thousands of aggregating ants walk across batches of acrylic paints on a canvas, leaving beautiful marks and patterns. Second, an ant colony “sculpts” a clay block with their nest-building instinct, digging and compiling, resulting in the remains of an “ant city.” Third, the ants painstakingly move pieces of natural or artificial materials one by one to adorn a sticky vaseline-covered canvas, creating a composite artwork. The exhibit explores the human-environment relationship using ant-made art and, thus, invites reflection on our place within the ecological context, challenging traditional human-centric viewpoints.

Gallery
Bridge Gallery
Exhibition Duration
September 14, 2023 - October 04, 2023