Lasse-Marc Riek

The butterfly goes through four stages in its development: it grows in the egg, hatches as a caterpillar, pupates and finally leaves the cocoon as a fully-grown, winged animal. This transformation is called metamorphosis. Every year, the Palmengarten, Frankfurt/M. obtains pupae for its flower and butterfly house from a sustainable breeding centre in Costa Rica. Visitors can patiently observe the birth of a butterfly in a chrysalis box. At an unpredictable time, the chrysalis shell bursts open and the finished butterfly slowly crawls out.

Sound artist Lasse-Marc Riek literally lends an ear to the fascinating natural phenomenon of the butterfly's metamorphosis. His sound composition "METAMORPHOSEN" gives visitors an "ear view" into the short life span of the delicate insect. Riek recorded the sounds that butterflies make in their life stages in the „Blumen und Schmetterlingshaus“ using various sound recording systems. Outside of the fluttering season, his recordings transform the "Schmetterlingshaus" into a walk-in listening station where you can listen to the butterflies in an extraordinary sound art experience. Dr. Nadja Tomoum

Many thanks for the cooperation to Dr. Nadja Tomoum, the team at the "Blumen und Schmetterlingshaus" and, of course, the butterflies!

The work will be presented as a fixed media installation in the Schmetterlingshaus as part of the exhibition "Verspielt? - Roulette mit der Insekten- und Pflanzenwelt" at the Palmengarten, Frankfurt/M. from 18 July to 6 October 2024.

Feature: Wie klingen die Schmetterlinge? (German) Film by Florian Lumeau, Hr Fernsehen