The relationships between insects and plants are mediated through chemistry – invisible communications based on complex, yet delicate signals emitted and detected all around us.
Insects are the most diverse group of organisms on earth. This diversity means that insects fill every imaginable ecological niche, and perform many of the most important ecosystem functions. This diversity has been moulded in turn by the remarkable variety of plants, which interact with insects in a myriad of ways: they depend on some insects for pollination, but must also cope with being eaten by ‘pests’.
Insects and plants invisible communications allow a flower to advertise its nectar and pollen to moths, bees and flies; they allow insects to find the right place to start a nest and lay eggs; they even allow plants to warn their neighbours of impending danger.
This collaboration aims to produce a visual interpretation of these hidden interactions using diverse media and different perspectives, and will challenge people to think about communication in nature, and the nature of communication. It will also expose people to the diversity of insects using a combination of displays and educational material.
