Nymphalidae

Tiimi: Kwan Yui Ip, Nanna Kemppinen ja Werneri Vähä-Impola

Urban green enables numerous living conditions for people and other species. This spatial experience gives a peek into the living environment of the many residents and users of the Rail Corridor as well as the behaviours of the living building components. The number of butterflies signals of an environment's good ecological condition and a fine level of diversity. This in mind, at the centre of the design shines the Nymphalidae family of butterflies. The result of the design is a series of spatial experiences that illustrate the diversity of the Nymphalidae family. The spatial experience is formed by simulating the environmental actors, such as inter-species interactions without going too thoroughly into the complexity of an ecosystem. Rather, Nymphalidae highlights how isolated significant factors have an affect on the ecosystem and the development of biodiversity. The spatial experience presents the occurrence data for the selected species from the last 20 years and guides sight towards future scenarios – What is the future of biodiversity and of our habitats in the decades to come?

Context to Rail Corridor

Singapore is one of the richest regions in the world in terms of biodiversity. The Rail Corridor, which connects green areas along the entire length of the city, appears to be a significant urban green space on the scale of Singapore. However, deforestation threatens the survival opportunities of more and more species. Nurturing biodiversity is important, as it maintains the vitality and stability of ecosystems and as such has an impact on our living conditions.

Site area

The research area is located at the central parts of the Rail Corridor, west of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. At this point, the surrounding zone around the railroad consists of residential areas, roads, and a nature reserve where the species biodiversity of the urban area is clearly observable. The Rewilding Project and the nature restoration measures implemented in the target area were key sources of inspiration to selecting the area. The biodiversity of the research site has been observed using different methods including 3D laser scanning, photography, and sound recording.

Species Data

The work utilizes occurrence data of species, gathered from an international open data organisation called GBIF Global Biodiversity Information Facility. The data includes species occurrences from the beginning of the 21st century to the present day. The species data is based on the presence of the organisms in Singapore and the Rail Corridor. Data has been collected from three classes of organisms occurring on the Rail Corridor: insects, birds, and plants with each at a precision of family taxonomic rank.

Process and Implementation

The project focuses on simulating the current condition of the biodiversity and does not present itself as a solution on stopping the depletion of biodiversity. Based on references, the project simulates a projection of the ecosystem of the research area in a simplified manner, with a focus on a food chain involving the Nymphalidae family. In the simulation the insectivores eat insects that are attracted by the nectar found in blossoming trees. The plant life uses the butterflies as pollinators and the decomposing matter of animals as nutrition.

When creating the simulated experience, a key source of inspiration for the species interactions and behavioural systems was the Cellular Automata model. Multiple art installations such as Hans Op de Beeck's The Quiet Parade (2022) and teamLab's Flutter of Butterflies Beyond Borders (2015), worked as inspiration for the visualisation of the ecosystem.

From data points to spatial experience -näyttely Liettuassa.