Asia-Pacific Ant Farm, by Yukinori Yanagi (1995)

Material: 42 plexiglas boxes containing ants and colored sand

The Margulies Collection

15/01/21 - Yukinori Yanagi was born in Japan in 1959 and throughout his career he found a way to collaborate with the little world of ants, incorporating them into his artistic work. He basically builds labyrinths of small plexiglass boxes, joined by tubes in which he introduces sand and live ants. The sand he uses is of the perlite variety, which he himself colors with different pigments. From this substrate, the flags of different countries are formed. After a while, the little insects adapt to the new space and build tunnels through the sand, causing fractures in the flags by mixing the colors. As a result: the ants create their own national insignia.

The movement of the ants across the sand / flags is a declaration of national identity, demonstrating the division between the different cultures of the planet. 

The installation with the insects is temporary, then they are removed and the artist fixes the cracked sand with an adhesive so that it remains firm.