How Insects Do Graphic Design

Bits n Pieces DEBUG in NYC

Yesterday the exhibition Bits 'n Pieces launched at Material Connexion in New York, a dialogue between the analog and the digital technologies within design in a post-digital era. What grabbed our attention in the busy space during the opening, were the insects doing graphic design! A sophisticated machine transformed the movements of a few bugs into beautiful patterns and logos and printed them out as fast as the insects performed.

This experimental machine uses insects to make artworks and design graphics, such as the logo of Bits 'n Pieces (see image above). Edhv, who don't specialise in anything and are based in the Netherlands, are into growing identities with this project, called Debug. A path and obstacles that have been put in the insects' way influence the their behaviour, and gives them their design brief so to speak. The machine translates the movement of the bugs into graphics, which are then printed out as posters; a beautiful result of a collaboration between the designers and the insects and an engaging way to let nature do its thing.

Apart from Debug, you can see how the designers Dries Verbruggen and Lucas Maassen made a sofa in the shape of Maassen's brainwaves, or Doug Bucci's pieces of jewellery that emerged from transforming his blood glucose readings into 3D pieces, quite similar to the bracelet made form modelling weather pattern in 3D which we featured last week.

We definitely recommend a visit to Material Connexion if you're in New York to see Bits 'n Pieces, a travelling exhibition that focuses on how society is imbued with, shaped by and shapes technology. The show is open until december 4th 2009, monday to friday, 9am - 6pm at Material ConneXion, 60 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10010. ::Bits 'n Pieces ::Edhv