'microsculpture' exhibition explores the beauty of insects through detailed photography

per olsson from uponwalls has curated and designed an exhibition that focuses on the hidden beauty of insects, though the display of high-resolution photography of various specimens from the collection of oxford university museum of natural history. the project was completed in collaboration with british photographer levon biss, who has provided the large, detailed portraiture of the insects. so far, the exhibition has been displayed in sweden and norway, both on an indoor and outdoor setting.

kids looking in to the details
all images courtesy of uponwalls

the purpose of the exhibition designed by uponwalls was to reach out to the public and discuss the global importance of insects whose extinction can cause major problems for the environment in the future. the outdoor exhibition that was held in sweden, during the summer of 2019, paid great attention specifically to the education of children. the young visitors had the opportunity to learn about insects in a small field laboratory that was placed in the center of the outdoor area, while two biology students were there to teach and answer any question.

the construction set up in a public park in hjo, sweden

the exhibition system is constructed in powder-coated and rusty corten steel, while the pictures are printed in extreme resolution on an aluminum surface mounted on the stands with waterproof velcro and in some cases small screws. the photographs are detailed and clear, allowing viewers to observe the surprising, and often bizarre microscopic forms of insects, their colours and shapes, down to their finest hair, like skeletal structures. each picture in microsculpture is created from around 8,000 individual photographs and takes 2-3 week to produce. meanwhile, alongside the pictures, there is a display of real life-sized insects specimens that have been carefully selected by entomologist dr james hogan. this huge transformation of scale offers a unique viewing experience. the exhibition is on tour and is available in different layouts to suit different needs.

the ‘mini-lab’ where the kids looked at insects through the microscope