Worlding in an Insect Hotel

Authors

• Kristiina Ljokkoi Aalto University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54916/rae.126191

Keywords:

nonhuman agency, other-than-human agency, other-than-human animal builders, built environment, representation, multispecies urban demography, posthumanism, new materialism

Abstract

In this article, I examine how humans invite insects into the human-based order and materialism. I begin by exploring insect hotels’ phenomenon, history, and aims. I then take a closer look at DIY guides and instructions on how to build an insect hotel. According to studies in urban ecology, the original goals of supporting biodiversity are poorly realized. Instead, I state that insect hotels can be seen as a practice of staying with the trouble. With this focus and with some works of art, complex questions of agency, representation, knowledge, power, government, and control can be examined.