Love Motel For Insects is an outdoor light installation by Brandon Ballengée in the shape of giant dragonfly wings. The piece, which uses ultra-violet lights on blank fabric to attract insects, creates an opportunity for public interactions with nocturnal arthropods. Ballengée, an American artist who has been working with environmental themes for years, began creating pieces to attract insects in Central America in 2001.
The dragonfly-wing sculpture seen here, which was on display at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington DC from March 24- June 10, 2012, is one of many such “love motels” that Ballengée has built. According to the artist, ” Love Motel for Insects is an ongoing series of outdoor installations intended to construct situations between humans and arthropods. The works use ultra-violet lights on enormous blank canvases to attract insects and create an opportunity for public interactions with rarely seen nocturnal arthropods. At each location, the Love Motels for Insects become the backdrop for community events such as picnics, biodiversity festivals, graffiti jams, scientific investigations, musical events and even local film screenings relating to local insect species.”
Currently, a piece in the shape of a luna moth is on display in New York City at the sculpture court of Jim Kempner Fine Art, at 501 West 23rd Street from June 9 through August 4 2012. Click here for more information. You can find out more about Ballengée’s other environmental artwork at this website.
The Finch and Pea 
2 thoughts on “The Art of Science – Love Motel for Insects”