POST-NATURAL SELECTION
Personal Info
Name: Aitor Frías-Sánchez
Nationality: Spain
Instagram: @afabstudio
Name: Joaquin Perailes-Santiago
Nationality: Spain
Instagram: @afabstudio
Name: Aashti Miller
Nationality: India
Instagram: @millerink.graphics
-HONOURABLE MENTION of Non Architecture Award Competition | Category: Landscape
The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) has become an unexpected refuge for wildlife. This surprising fact is both an inspiring manifestation of the resilience of life, and a sad example of how nuclear radiation, despite its disastrous effects, is less of an obstacle to animals than humans. Specifically, we are focusing on weaver spiders of the “Araneidae” family. These creatures have been making erratic and less effective webs as a result of the challenging environment of the CEZ.
We propose artificially constructing the general framework of their webs, after which the spiders themselves can focus on creating the most important part of the structure: the spiral made of sticky silk, which captures insects. Spiders expend a large amount of energy to create the framework, hence our proposal ensures that they can solely work on the production and weaving of the sticky silk, reacquiring their hunting capabilities over time with minimal human intervention.
We imagine that an aggregate of these webs creates a mobile architectural device, which can contain and transport a healthy cluster of spiders. Various sensors control the “legs”, which can select optimum locations and orientations for increased insect capture. The legs will only move for a maximum of two hours a day, and always during the daytime when the spiders are inactive. Their movements will be extremely slow and organic, preventing any disruptive vibrations.
Our design seeks to generate a disturbing and calm presence inserted in this post-apocalyptic context.
Project Type: COMPETITION PROPOSAL (Honorable Mention at LA+CREATURE competition)
Jury Comments
– Land Art Generator
This is a beautiful and thoughtful artistic collaboration between humans and nature set within an ecology that has been forever altered by our unquenchable thirst for energy.
