Biomimicry
Is this really natural? Is there something unnatural about it? We ask ourselves these questions when we sense something strange about the events in front of us, our own words, or our attitude.
Sometimes you can immediately identify the cause of the discomfort, but more often than not, you can't figure it out with just a little thought. And then you just forget about it.
I know from experience that ignoring your discomfort will lead to regret. Difficulty and irreversible situations are sure to await you.
That unnatural feeling is an alert. It's a premonition.
An old poet who lives in the mountains came into town and lamented that the view from his hotel window was full of straight lines. He said that the things he saw in the fields and mountains had freer, more unique shapes. Like Prometheus' fire, straight lines have also been a boon to mankind. They are easy to handle and efficient, making standardization and mass production possible. But the man made a prophetic statement that if they are used incorrectly, disaster will come to light.
Modern humans first appeared 200,000 years ago. After an incredibly long time, civilization emerged in what is now the Middle East 5,000 years ago. 500 years ago, the Age of Discovery and the Protestant Reformation began, and around 250 years ago, the Industrial Revolution and political revolution occurred. 5,000 years ago, the human population was only 19 million. 2,000 years ago, the population grew to 230 million, 1,000 million 1,000 million 500 years ago, 1 billion 200 years ago, over 1.5 billion 100 years ago, 6 billion 25 years ago, and now 8 billion.
It is said that the first life appeared on Earth 3.8 billion years ago. More than 99 percent of the species that have ever appeared no longer exist. In other words, extinction is also a natural law. Human beings are no exception.
There are countless forms of life that have far outnumbered and existed for longer than humans. Fungi, plants, marine life, and insects, in particular, have lived on this planet while contributing to its ecosystem (can we even say that humans are contributing to the ecosystem?). They have biomechanisms that do not use fire or straight lines, and they are now attracting renewed attention. This is because there are things that humanity, which has neglected to coexist with other life forms and other people, can learn from them.
I try to imitate organic forms (with my own uncertain interpretation) with the idea that art should not only focus on humans. However, I am also human, so I am interested in humans. If the systems and order of human society have been created by firepower and linear thinking, is it possible that something has been overlooked as a result?
May 2025 Mario Tauchi
