Visual Arts Workshop: The microcosm of insects, a work of art

In this workshop, we will discover the magical world of insects, through a journey of observation into the ecosystems of our planet, focusing on their microcosm which lives in harmony with elements of nature.

We bring to mind the spider sculpture of Louise Bourgeois. Does it have the characteristic features of an insect? Insects are arthropods. Arthropods are not insects. How do insects survive? What skills do they develop? How does the environment in which they live and the food they eat affect them?

Four self-contained workshops, in which we are attempting to answer the aforementioned questions, opening up a window of exploration into the life of 4 insects: cicadas, Phasmatodea, dragonflies, and ants.

A narrative part and a game of questions and images will be followed by artistic creation. We will be employing the technique of the assemblage: The key characteristics of each insect’s life will inspire works of art, which will condense the new lived knowledge in a poetic way.

Workshop #1: Cicada (Cicadidae)

This insect’s life is a hymn to the circle of life, reminding of the myth of Persephone and the passage from one season to another. Cicadas spend most of their lives as underground nymphs. Over the course of their emergence from the earth into the light, they are transformed into adult insects and start their summer song. Using the assemblage technique, we will attempt to capture the life cycle of the cicada.

Saturday 08/10 | 17:30–19:00

Workshop #2: Phasmatodea

Informally they are best known as “leaf insects” or “stick insects.” A seemingly feeble type of creature, which, however, managed to survive from the age of dinosaurs to this day, only thanks to its camouflage capability. Taking this unique feature of Phasmatodea into account, how can we assemble their body? How important is the environment in which they live for these insects?

Saturday 22/10 |  17:30–19:00

Workshop #3: Dragonfly (Libellulidae)

The dragonfly is an extraordinary insect, that has lived on Earth since the time before the dinosaurs. It survived thanks to the amazing capabilities of its body. It can hover, accelerate, rotate and fly in reverse. Its life is spent both in the air and by the water. In this workshop, we will make dragonflies using our imagination attributing, at the same time, to the assemblage her surroundings and her sparkles under the light.

Saturday 05/11 | 17:30–19:00

Workshop #4: Ant (Formicidae)

Ants are an exceptionally social and collaborative species. Each group of ants is very well aware of what task it is supposed to carry out. Whenever necessary, one ant teaches and guides the other and all together, each from their own post, care for the safety and the future of their colony. We draw inspiration from the life of ants and create collective works.

Saturday 19/11 | 17:30–19:00

Design-implementation: Antigoni Michalakopoulou, Visual Artist, Architect, Art Educator & Angeliki Hatira, Educator, Pedagogue

NLG KIDS LAB

Up to 20 participants
For children aged 9 to 12
 

Online preregistration is required

For the workshop on 08/10, pre-registration starts at 03/10 at 12.00
For the workshop on 22/10, pre-registration starts at 14/10 at 12.00
For the workshop on 05/11, pre-registration starts at 31/10 at 12.00
For the workshop on 19/11, pre-registration starts at 14/11 at 12.00

Due to public health measures, there may be changes regarding either the staging of the event, or the maximum number of participants.