Moth Kota - Release

Step into another world.

Dwell within Loch Lomond’s woodlands at twilight.

Discover the vibrant and intricately patterned creatures that inhabit the night.

Observe quivering antennae, orb-like compound eyes, iridescent scales, and delicate folded wings.

Inhabit the botanical world of the night-pollinator.

Wonder as the Moth Kota transforms – attracting Lepidoptera beneath an ultraviolet moon, then opening, like a flower, to release moths back into the darkness.

You are invited to witness the first installation of the Moth Kota, an experimental shelter-sculpture created by visual artist Hannah Imlach in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds at their Loch Lomond nature reserve. The artwork invites visitors to consider how we engage with forms of life less apparent, often-overlooked or little-known. It is a space designed around the behavioural cycles and sensory world of Loch Lomond’s Lepidoptera, and a space where humans can gather; it is a space for multispecies encounter. During July 2021, public audiences will be invited into the Moth Kota through a series of guided events, to witness Illumination, Moth Presence and Release. These events offer various kinds of encounter, each experience will be unique.

Release will take place at nautical twilight, 24 hours after Illumination. It is an opportunity for audiences to witness the Moth Kota opening, to dwell within the nature reserve as day turns to night, and to encounter moths as they are released back into the darkness.

Participants in Release will have a guided experience of the artwork during a more animated phase of moth activity. They will witness moths emerging from their resting places within the sculpture and taking flight.

Release is an intimate event with limited capacity. It will be led by Hannah Imlach with moth expertise provided by her conservation collaborators.

Hannah Imlach is a visual artist and researcher who creates sculptural and photographic artworks exploring specific ecologies and environmental perception. Her previous works have investigated community-initiated renewable energy transition, deep-sea coral reefs, and peatland restoration, resulting in site-specific sculpture, film and photographic artworks, alongside public events, and publications. The Moth Kota is her most ambitious work to date and a central element of ‘Close Encounters’, her current practice-led PhD research project at University of Edinburgh, conducted in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and funded by the Scottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities. Close Encounters has Imlach undertaking fieldwork alongside conservation practitioners at the Loch Lomond nature reserve and developing a series of site-specific artworks.

1. Please be aware that this event may involve proximity to moths and other insects, it is not recommended for those who have a moth phobia. Please move slowly and carefully in and around the artwork, observing the creatures you encounter and minimising disturbance.

2. The Moth Kota is part of the wider research project ‘Close Encounters’ on site-specific artwork and environmental perception. After the event you will be invited share your thoughts and experiences in response to a short series of questions. This is an essential part of research process, crucial for the project partners and funders. Thank you in advance for your participation.