Celebrating insects in art, and the art of being an insect

PESTIVAL: Celebrating insects in art, and the art of being an insect, opens tonight at the South Bank Center in London.

PESTIVAL: Celebrating insects in art, and the art of being an insect, opens tonight at the South Bank Center in London.

The events for Pestival weekend look extraordinary and include a large Termite Pavilion, Praying Manitis Kung Fu and Forensic Entomology (insect experts who are often called on to assist the police in cases of suspicious death). Needless to say there will be  lots of lots of insects.  And some excellent RSA Fellows who have recently worked with RSA's Arts and Ecology: neuroscientist Beau Lotto is creating a large bee hive in the Queen ‘Bee’ Hall and Architect Michael Pawlyn will present his biomimcry work.

Pestival is a rare creature: an international, inter-disciplinary, community-led festival. Events include insect-inspired comedy, music, ID walks, talks, workshops, experiments, fashion and a termite inspired architectural structure at the centre of Pestival 2009. 80% of creatures on earth are insects, the 'pests' without whom humans wouldn't survive. Pestival celebrates the 100s of millions of years of evolution, which places insects at the heart of human existence. Pestival 2009 celebrates how insects shape our world, and how humans shape the world of insects, in both science and the arts.

Check out the programme for 4 - 6 September: Pestival programme The events will be broadcast by London’s favourite (and only) art radio station Resonance 104.4 FM and Tweeted on The Guardian's Environment Blog.