This is a pretty awesome project from artist Aki Inomata that was first created in 2009. The basic idea behind the project is that Aki would create small buildings and cityscapes that mimicked famous locations in the world and would then place these models on the backs of hermit crabs to create some really weird looking – but awesome – artwork.
If you’re a vegetarian or love animals don’t worry – Aki did the reading beforehand to ensure that the needs of the hermit crab were met in terms of the weight that it could support on its back, and she also used a CT scanner to image the interior of sea shells so that she could ensure her miniature sculptures were given a proper home and that the crab was not harmed or in any discomfort at all.
As you probably know, hermit crabs move out of their shells as they grow up and grow bigger and Aki wanted to use this process as a metaphor for the life of a human, as most find themselves moving to another city different to the one that they grew up in at some point in their life and needing to find shelter and a home in this new city, much like the journey of a hermit crab. She hoped that by displaying miniature versions of some of the most popular cities in the world that people move to – New York, Tokyo, Bangkok etc – on hermit crabs she would be able to display this feature of the life of most humans through her artwork.
Check out the collection below:
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