Lightmare
2023
Lightmare is a collaborative project with another university campus, designed to create an exhibition piece that raises awareness about the climate crisis. This initiative responds to the challenge of demonstrating our commitment as agents of change.
Our project specifically addresses the issue of light pollution, focusing on three key areas to educate and inspire action through design. By highlighting practical solutions, Lightmare aims to empower individuals and communities to reduce light pollution and its environmental impact.
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Light pollution is the overuse of artificial light, harming wildlife, wasting energy, and disrupting sleep. It affects animal behaviors, like migration and reproduction, and contributes to climate change by increasing carbon emissions. Reducing light pollution through better design helps protect nature and human health.
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Moths are naturally attracted to light, a phenomenon called positive phototaxis. Artificial lights confuse them, causing them to circle endlessly, making them easy prey for predators and exhausting them until they die.
Light pollution also interferes with their ability to pollinate plants. Many moth species are important nighttime pollinators, but bright lights distract them from feeding and pollination, disrupting ecosystems.
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Educating people about light pollution helps them understand its harmful effects on wildlife, ecosystems, and health. Many don’t realize that artificial light harms pollinators like moths, wastes energy, and contributes to climate change. By learning better lighting practices, like using shielded and energy-efficient lights, people can help protect nature, save energy, and reduce pollution. Awareness leads to action and positive change.
Our concept is an immersive installation that allows visitors to step inside and experience moths in the dark—an equivalent to a butterfly hutch but with a nocturnal twist. The structure is tall enough for one or two people to walk into, where they can explore illustrated moths and a central poem about light pollution, suspended in the space to evoke the delicate, fleeting nature of these nighttime creatures.
