Moth Migration Project

CROSS POLLINATION
Aug 19 – Nov 11, 2017
516Arts Albuquerque, NM

The Moth Migration Project is a crowd-sourced exhibition of hand printed, drawn and cut paper moths. Hilary Lorenz began the project in her Brooklyn, New York studio in January 2017. Choosing moths, a nocturnal pollinator, as the vehicle for cross-pollination and international exchange, Lorenz put out a call for participation on social media, inviting people to create paper moths native to their geographic location.  Through social media and personal relationships, the moths became a symbol of community as the project exploded with thousands of submissions, satellite exhibitions, printmaking workshops, school art projects and family and community gatherings.

The project has fostered an international cross-pollination of ideas and community building among friends and strangers. As facilitator, Lorenz meticulously cataloged and entered submissions into a database. In addition she set up and continues to moderate a Facebook Moth Migration Group, where people cultivate relationships and share photographs of their moths and personal experience. Pollination is reciprocal with Lorenz mailing each participant a specifically-designed postcard recognizing their contribution and acknowledging the value of their collaboration. 

In the gallery exhibition each paper moth’s placement represents how the project digitally pollinated. The visual effect of the massive installation is a migration map representing artists from twenty-six countries and their connection with the project.

Each little piece of art, carefully catalogued and marshalled by Hilary from countries all around the world is building bridges and links between people who would never otherwise have met.
–Avril Wilkinson, Norfolk, England

The Moth Migration Website can be found here, with an interactive map of moth contributors here. 

I created three moths for the Moth Migration Project. I made twenty of each and sent them on their journey to New Mexico

The first was a Bogong moth, a night flying moth, notable for overrunning major public buildings like Parliament House in Canberra in spring while migrating to the cooler alpine areas. As a born and bred Canberran you can't escape them.















The second was a Southern Old Lady moth, found in Southern Australia and also called a Moon moth. It has beautiful blue eyes and shimmers purple in the moonlight.



















The third was a Coprosma Hawk moth, found in South Eastern Australia - built for speed. They have a smooth, tapered body and brilliant red hind wings. They fly fast and far and look like Pokémon while caterpillars.

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