The Rhinoceros and other fantastic creatures

The German painter and printmaker created the Rhinoceros based on a written description and brief sketch by an unknown artist of an Indian rhinoceros. Durer never saw the actual rhinoceros. Not a single life specimen had been brought to Europe since Roman times, until 1577, when an Indian rhinoceros, named Abada, arrived at the court of Sebastian of Portugal in, being later inherited by Philip II of Spain around 1580.

Durer’s woodcut is not an accurate representation of a rhinoceros. He depicts an animal with hard plates that cover its body like sheets of armour, with a gorget at the throat, a solid-looking breastplate, and rivets along the seams. He also places a small twisted horn on its back, and gives it scaly legs and saw-like rear quarters. None of these features is present in a real rhinoceros. Despite its anatomical inaccuracies, Durer’s woodcut became very popular in Europe and was copied many times in the following three centuries. It was regarded by Westerners as a true representation of a rhinoceros into the late 18th century.

The rhinoceros’ body could be been divided into a kit of distinct armour pieces. The parts of this fantastic animal puzzle are collaged with unpredictable outcomes in the following images, describing imaginary specimens, objects and anatomical/architectural details. Similar to Durer’s woodcut the forms of the rhinoceros and the collaged fantasy animals are framed with outlines that visually hold the pieces together. The experiments have lost the completeness of the original print to let the viewer’s imagination add pieces to the picture.












The Rhinoceros details








The Rhinoceros landscapes

Biotope Pavilion, Lea Valley

Biotope Pavilion

Sundial building.

Inhabited Walls.

Seasonal bats and passerines spectacles.

Seasonal building skins.

Project space housing research 3D model of the ecosystem in the Lea Valley.

The project takes on the ideas developed in the previous experiments and incorporates them into one main pavilion, a workshop where the spectacles could be planned and data of the Lea Valley ecosystems could be stored.

Currently information about wildlife sighting and numbers, collected by volunteers is uploaded to Lee Valley Regional Park Authority website and other small organisations sites like Lea Valley Bats Community. The main project space proposed in Lea Valley Biotope Pavilion will contain a 3 dimensional interactive model of the valley’s ecosystems. There all collected data could be viewed, analysed and stored to inform future biodiversity projects, for instance natural habitat recovery in the Olympic zone after the 2012 games or connecting wildlife passages to adjacent green areas.

The light model represents food chain systems of the biotope. Information is uploaded to computer matrix which guides the light intensity of the elements representing specific species depending on the active time or number of sightings. Seen as a hole system of relationships, the model could show weaknesses, development or changes in the biotope. The building of the pavilion has walls designed to be inhabited by bats, songbirds and insects. It houses symbolically and actually ecosystems of the Lea Valley. The structure also works as sundial offering vistas with spectacular sunset lighting at specific times of year.

Sound Box and Bat bridge

Spectacle of rapid movement of flying bats set on the bright wester horizon could be witnessed from a pavilion about 15min after sunset between mid March to late September. The viewing space enhances the sound of the enthusiastic bat choir coming from the garden valley with its acoustic form and materials.

Highly insulated winter hibernation chamber, in the summer turns into acoustically proofed weather station, sound box. There the forecast is translated into melody or birds songs could be captured by the meteorological and hearing devices mounted on the roof. The space could serve as recording studio, where musical interpretation on the weather and wildlife songs are played.

Bat Spectacle

Bats Spectacle

Location:

Sunset Pavilion by Bat House Bridge over Bugs’ Heaven Gardens;

Time:

Between mid March and end of September, starting at 15 minutes past sunset.

Stage set:

Bright western horizon backdrop

Evening blooming, aromatic flower stage

Bat houses loaded bridge in the background

Actors:

Leading role- bats /1-12 spices/

Supporting roles- flying, crawling invertebrates, frogs, robins

Special guess appearance- owl, nightingales.

Music:

Bug Orchestra and Bat Choir

accompanied by Lea river and Frogs’ bass

Occasional arias by nightingales and robins

Guess performance by an owl

Theatre box seats:

Bat watching nest - only 4 exclusive hammock places

Sound enhancing ‘Bat Ear’ ceiling

Main act:

Numerous tiny explosions of rapidly moving flying bats’ silhouettes on the bright western sky.

The fast-moving choreography is accompanied by the equally energetic voice of the Bat Choir.

Garden of Earthly Delights

Cocoon Filter Beds and The Garden of Earthly Delights;

Symbiotic system in Lea Valley, London.

Man-made exoskeleton with bio core.

Living building and filtering elements.

Displaying live for the delight of the curios eyes.

Bare feet mycelium moss garden paths.

Morphing spaces.

Nightmares and heroes

Nightmares and heroes;

Pirates in Katie’s nightmares

End of The World Research Vessel is welcoming future saviours.

Chronogram