Sara Hancock

So-Called Parasites is a multimedia installation consisting of video elements, projection and sculpture forms exploring our relationships with insects.
This piece reflects my own interests into the ethics and speciesism that goes on in regards to creatures we deem as lower in the animal hierarchy.

We all know and understand their importance to the ecosystem but it is so easy to just pick up a can of bug spray to alleviate  ourselves of a minor nuisance  in our home. I think they should be more respected amongst everyday life, but it is hard to de-centre ourselves as humans in order to allow insects to thrive and do as they please.

By using bright and bold colours in the videos, I hope this aids in drawing the audience’s attention to the existence of these overlooked creatures and shining a new light on them. Using projections to enlarge the footage of insects aims to create a size relation to humans, enlarging them to be as large as ourselves changes how we interact.

Alongside these videos I have collected various deceased insects I have found throughout my frequented places and created a metal shell around them using electroplating techniques. Using a shiny metal to encapsulate and protect the insect, I hope to memorialise them in a unique way that allows the audience to take notice of them instead of being overlooked.

Video

Image gallery