Bats might not be the first wild creatures that come to mind when you think of species threatened by urban growth, but in London, declining bat biodiversity has captured the interest and concern of one artist and several institutions who together have launched a competition to design a bat house. Artist Jeremy Deller produces socially and politically-charged work primarily focused on the UK, but it was in Texas, while filming a documentary in 2003 (for which he won the Turner Prize in 2004), where he found his love of bats and established an ongoing commitment to their protection. He came back to the UK with a plan to create a public sculpture that could also house displaced bats. Soon the idea grew and became a collaborative national project. In partnership with the Bat Conservation Trust, the Arts Council of England, the RSA’s Arts and Ecology program, and London’s Mayor, Ken Livingstone, The Bat House Project launched a series of design challenges and a competition to collaboratively design a new house for London bats. The Project highlights the potential for architects, builders, home-owners and conservationists to work together to produce wildlife-friendly building design. It connects the worlds of art and ecology… (more)
(Posted by Sarah Rich in Biodiversity and Ecosystems at 11:07 AM)