Syntypes of Cicada

Artist’s book Syntypes* of Cicada, Diary of one Entomologist is an illustrated interactive sonified story about a discovery of new species of insect superfamily of Cicadas and represents six members of an experimental noise collective Kikimore. The book is synthesizing and searching for analogies between areas of scientific illustration and biological facts about Cicadas, mythology and legends of Slavic female creature Kikimora, revealing similarities of etymological origin of therms cicada and kikimora. Diary is a metamorphosis of Kikimore members into a new type of cicadas with their unique character traits, color scale, size, shape of wings, thorax, legs and sounds. Part of the scientific diary is a light responsive instrument with textile patching yarns for each cicadas to have hers distinctive sound.

Opening of the exhibition in Layer House in Kranj [31 May 2019] was accompanied by a sound performance with analog instruments with imitating sounds of cicadas and other creatures and variuous field recordings of habitating together with Kikimore members.

 


*syntype: scientific illustration with detailed description of a new type of specie; it represents the basis for identification of a new specie of an animal or plant, if the holotype (a single type specimen upon which the description and name of a new species is based) was not determined.

Book binding: Maruša Hren, wooden book covers: Miha Dermol

EXHIBITION:
House of Illustration 2019
[Layer House, Kranj, 31 May – 22 June 2019]