"Antworks" video had its debut at the NY Media Center in DUMBO this month (www.nymediacenter.com). With eight projectors on a 360 surround screen, the ants swarmed the opening party. What a perfect venue for them. The Center's statement includes words like - collaborate, connect, incubate - words that also describe leafcutter ant society. Ants use the media of pheromones instead of words to share content, collaborate and build complexity. And they do it on the run. They are nature's ultimate mobile communication devices.
One winter a large colony harvested from a brightly colored plant with stripes and spots. The pieces of leaves the ants cut looked like art, like tiny Abstract Expressionists paintings. It was art on parade across the forest floor. Who is to say the ants are indifferent to the aesthetics of the leaves they carefully select, cut and carry home? The NY Media Center aims to bring together "storytellers from multiple disciplines." I think this fits perfectly with their mission.
