Pathways

by Katherine Beaton and Kerry Gerich

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The concept of this design was based on research and observations of crickets.  Creating a design in line with their inherent nature allows the crickets to engage in the installation.  The research indicated that crickets are sub-social, meaning that they lead a life with very limited social interaction.  Eliminating the crickets’ path around the perimeter leads them to a unifying common ground, acknowledging the necessity of connecting with others of their species.   This was accomplished by surrounding the perimeter of the space with grass, which is unattractive to the common “house” cricket.  In addition, crickets prefer textured surfaces, and have trouble climbing smooth surfaces.  For this reason, the ground plane and the lighting element were coated in sand, to encourage interaction with the installation. Crickets are very sensitive to the temperature, preferring room temperature to slightly warmer.  The frequency of their chirps can be affected by the temperature.  Incorporating a lighted spiral path provides a heat source, in addition to creating a physical connection between the museum visitors and the web-cam viewers.

 

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Images of sand from study of materials

A cricket interacting with a textured, sandy surface

A cricket interacting with a textured, sandy surface

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