From the insect collection to animation and performance

Anna will present on two of her entomological creative works. She will discuss her art science performance The Colony, a show about sisterhood and the evolution of social life in both humans and ants. Inspired by the Carl W. and Marian E. Rettenmeyer Army Ant Guest Collection and informed by scientific research on ant colonies, The Colony ventures into speculative fiction and includes projected animations and imagery alongside live spoken and musical performance. She will also discuss her animated short Beetle Bluffs. Filmed at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology and inspired by research by the museum’s former Curator of Insects, Philip J. Darlington, the animation illuminates the dynamics of nine beetle mimics and their wary lizard predator. Anna’s works turn to insects in order to kindle a sense of awe and understanding of our diverse biological world, while simultaneously reflecting on the human experience.