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"Insects: Models for Design"

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Exhibition Contents

Weevil Legs
Taku Satoh

This work shows the middle leg of a weevil known as the shiro-mon kumo zou-mushi at 700-times magnification. Viewers are encouraged to imagine what it's like to be such a tiny insect.
Precision Photography: Kenji Kohiyama

Specimen of Insect

Specimen Collection: Keiki Fukui
Specimen Cooperation: The Kyushu University Museum

Beetle Exoskeletons

Data: Image Processing Research Team, Center for Advanced Photonics, RIKEN
3D Output: Stratasys Japan Co., Ltd.

The Shape of Insects
Yosuke Abe + Kenji Kohiyama + Munetoshi Maruyama

An "audio-visual theatre of insects" allows people to experience the world of these lifeforms in a rich shower of specially-taken photographs, with a rhythm made from various environmental sounds and musical accompaniment.
Film Editing: Kotaro Takano
Music: Shuta Hasunuma
Equipment: Canon Inc., Canon Marketing Japan Inc.

Viewpoint Hunting [The Weevils]
Haruka Misawa (Nippon Design Center, Inc.)

A collection of viewpoints to appreciate the full diversity of weevil ecology.
Design: Nippon Design Center, Inc., MISAWA DESIGN INSTITUTE
Mechanical Design: nomena (Shohei Takei, Taichi Inoue)
Production Cooperation: SHOEI Inc., HIGURE 17-15 cas, HINODE INDUSTRIAL ARTS Co., Ltd.
Exhibit Supervision: Hiroaki Kojima (Tokyo University of Agriculture), Kenji Kohiyama
Specimens Cooperation: Keiki Fukui

Curculio camelliae
Macoto Murayama

The anatomy of a Curculio cammelliae is reconstituted using three-dimensional computer graphics, based on research papers and actual dissections.
Exhibit Cooperation:Kenji Kohiyama

Caddisfly Nest
Kenji Kohiyama

Caddisfly larvae make their nests underwater using fallen leaves, branches, sand and pebbles. 18 unique nests, all differently shaped and made with different materials, are exposed in large format photographs.

Observing Longhorn Beetles
Takeo Nakano

30,000 species of longhorn beetle exist worldwide, with over 750 in Japan. This work uses graphic illustrations to expose the results of observing them.
Exhibit Cooperation:Tatsuya Niisato (Bio-Indicator)

Amenbo DOME
Satoshi Yoshiizumi (TAKT PROJECT)

The dome floats on water like a light-weight water skipper (Gerridia), though it is several hundred times their size.
Production Cooperation: Yuko Mihara (Yuko Mihara Structural Engineers)

READY TO FLY
Shunji Yamanaka + Kazuya Saito + Hiroshi Sugihara + Kotaro Tanimichi + Mitsuru Muramatsu

This work uses 3D printing to show how beetles meticulously fold their hindwings under their hard forewings. When viewers approach the work, the insect prepares to fly away.

Ant Colony Optimization
Akira Wakita

Three videos show autonomous and simple rules by which ants optimise a route between their nest and food supply.
Production Cooperation: Akira Wakita Laboratory, Keio University SFC.

Insect Experience
Takeshi Ishiguro

Insects are close, but often too small for us to notice. This work focuses on the moment when we first become aware of them, representing movement in light and sound.

Caddisfly Nest
Kengo Kuma and Associates + Alan Burden / Norihiro Ejiri / Jun Sato

Kengo Kuma & Associates worked with three renowned Japanese structural engineers on a structural analysis of caddisfly nests. Some of their results are exhibited here: Hair Nest by Alan Burden, Nest of Magnet by Norihiro Ejiri, and Ultra-thin Washi Nest by Jun Sato.
Hair Nest Production Cooperation: structured environment
Nest of Magnet Production Cooperation: Cemedine Co., Ltd., SHOWA TECHNO FOAM CO.,LTD, Nichinan Iron Construction.
Ultra-thin Washi Nest Form Development and Production: Jun Sato Laboratory, University of Tokyo; Jun Sato Structural Engineers Co., Ltd., John Bohn (SCI-Arc) + SCI-Arc Tokyo Studio / Plant Dying: Chikako Sato (Textile Artist) / Tengujo Washi Paper Production: Hidaka Washi Co., Ltd. / Yoshino Cypress and Zelkova Procurement: Mitsue Nakamura (littlemedia), Nara prefectural government, Nara wood brand division / Yoshino Cypress and Zelkova Fabrication: Yoshida Lumber Co., Ltd.

Beautiful and Creepy Peep Hole
Perfektron

This experiential work is on the theme of how people feel instinctive sensations about insects, based on their aesthetic preferences.
Photographic Images: Seiichi Okuyama
Lighting: Panasonic Corporation

Specimen Case of Tools
Keita Suzuki

Insects have evolved body parts into tools, while humans have developed tools to complement their bodies. This work investigates the wisdom and ingenuity of both approaches, exhibiting three new tools developed during the investigations.
Exhibition Cooperation: Takahiko Hariyama (Hamamatsu University School of Medicine), Kenji Kohiyama
Specimens Cooperation: Keiki Fukui

Naming Insects
Suzuka Fujita + Yukiko Uno + Kenji Abe

In this work viewers experience how insects have been given names based on their colour, pattern and form, or by comparison with things surrounding us.
Photographic Images: Seiichi Okuyama、Seidai Nagashima, Masashi Enju
Music: Sohtaro Kanda

Mimicry in Design
Hiroka Hasegawa

"Mimic insects" are difficult to find, so this work takes the method and process of mimicry, expressing it in accessible terms.
Production Cooperation: Kazuhiko Hayakawa

Inside the Cocoon
Mirai Mizue

Transformation from larva to pupa, to adult is called "complete metamorphosis." The process is shown using the animation technique known as "metamorphosis," in which a form is mutated into something completely different.

Insect Kanji - Written Characters Containing the Ideogramme "Insect"
Sui Mukai (TSDO)

Collected in this interactive work are kanji (Chinese characters) incorporating the character "insect."

MAO MOTH LAOS
Tokuro Oka + Mao Kobayashi

A documentary on one day in the life of Mao Kobayashi, a field researcher into Asian moths who is also a break dancer. He is based in the Laotian village of Phu Khun.
Sound Design: Kosuke Anamizu

Who is it that's Looking at this Exhibition?

Exhibit Cooperation: Institute of Plastination

Beetle Anatomy

Data: Image Processing Research Team, Center for Advanced Photonics, RIKEN
3D Output: Stratasys Japan Co., Ltd.

Traces of Insects

Insects' Egg-laying Patterns

Insects through an Electron Microscope

Photographic Image: Takahiko Hariyama (Hamamatsu University School of Medicine)

Spherical Manmaru-kogane

Exhibit Cooperation: HANIWAYA KOBO

Insect Jump / Insect Flight

Movie: Fumihiko Hirai (Tokyo Bug Boys)

Eyespot

Photographic Image: Munetoshi Maruyama

Voices of Leafcutter Ants

Exhibit Cooperation: Takahiro Murakami (Institution of Decision Science for a Sustainable Society, Kyushu University)

Affordances of Beetle Rolling Over

Exhibit Supervision: Masato Sasaki (Tama Art University)
Movie:Tokuro Oka

Large Insect Wings

Exhibit Cooperation: Munetoshi Maruyama