Art meets science on insect protection at the ‘UN Campus’ railway station
Street artists have transformed the subway of the ‘Bonn UN Campus’ stop into a mural. © go.Rheinland GmbH/Smilla Dankert
Beetles, butterflies and other insects have recently been hanging around the UN Campus railway station in oversized graffiti. What looks beautiful has a larger goal: the graffiti draws attention to the threat posed to insects by light pollution. The Museum Koenig Bonn of the LIB, go.Rheinland and Deutsche Bahn initiated this project together; artists from the InUrFaCE e. V. association designed the graffiti.
Work was carried out at full speed for a fortnight. Now the artwork can be admired on the almost 900 square metre surface: The artists Kai Niederhausen (‘Semor’) and Roman de Laporte (‘Jack Lack’) have transformed the subway and the barrier-free access route of the ‘Bonn UN Campus’ stop into a so-called mural. This is where Museum Koenig Bonn ties in with its BALIN project. It also shows how nature conservation can be achieved with simple solutions.
In the BALIN project, a consortium project of the LIB, DZSF and DB InfraGO, LIB researchers are investigating the effects of light pollution on insects on railway platforms. They are analysing alternative luminaires to reduce the attraction of insects. The graffiti was realised by the non-profit association InUrFaCE e. V., which draws on an international network of scientists from the field of biodiversity research as well as street artists. The aim of the organisation is to increase the appreciation of biodiversity in society through art and to encourage the conscious use of natural resources.
‘We have been particularly successful in this project,’ explains artist “Semor”. ‘The idea of our association InUrFaCE e. V. is to use simple things to help raise awareness of important issues that affect biodiversity. With projects like this, we want to use beautiful, colourful design to encourage people to engage with the issue of insect conservation by avoiding light pollution. And the reactions from passers-by have been consistently positive. Everyone has been pleased to hear what the project is all about in conversations with us. On behalf of the association, I would also like to thank the scientists at the Museum Koenig Bonn for their excellent cooperation.’
‘Our work at the LIB spans the arc from knowledge to action,’ emphasises Prof. Dr Bernhard Misof, Director General of the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change. ‘Based on our research data, we develop recommendations for practical action, which in this case we are working on with Deutsche Bahn in the BALIN project on the impairment of insects by light pollution. It is often simple solutions, such as the choice of luminaires in this case, that can bring about valuable changes and for which we provide the necessary research results. I particularly like the fact that this project uses an artistic presentation to turn the often overlooked insects, which are worth protecting, into an eye-catcher.’
Bonn’s Lord Mayor Katja Dörner is enthusiastic about the project: ‘I welcome the joint initiative of Deutsche Bahn, go.Rheinland, the Museum Koenig Bonn, the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change and the InUrFaCE association. The UN Campus railway station as the gateway to the federal district is a new eye-catcher in Bonn thanks to the highly aesthetic design of the two artists, Kai ‘Semor’ Niederhausen and Roman ‘Jack Lack’ de Laporte. The artists have succeeded in drawing the attention of passers-by not only to the beauty of insects, but also to their protection in a catchy way.’
‘Railway stations are gateways to local transport where passengers want to and should feel comfortable. That’s why we are very happy to work with DB to commission art graffiti. Passenger feedback and the number of hits on our street art website show that such art projects are very well received. If they can also contribute to biodiversity education, as at the UN Campus, all the better,’ says Willi Koenen, Head of Quality & Safety of Local Rail Passenger Transport at go.Rheinland.
Michael Hundacker from DB’s station management in Cologne is delighted that travellers will be able to benefit from a more attractive station in future: ‘As Germany’s largest host, we invest a lot in our stations so that travellers feel comfortable there. Our customer surveys show this: Travellers feel much more comfortable in colourful, artistically designed and well-lit subways. At the Bonn UN Campus station, we have worked together to enhance the way to the train for travellers in two ways: On the one hand, the mural invites you to marvel and at the same time encourages you to think about how we can protect our environment now and for our children.’
Background:
BALIN project – insect protection at railway stations through insect-friendly lighting
The BALIN project of the Federal Biological Diversity Programme analyses the effects of light pollution from rail transport on insects. The acronym BALIN stands for the project title ‘Insect protection at railway stations through insect-friendly lighting’.
By using alternative light sources and lighting concepts, the project aims to investigate and scientifically evaluate ways of reducing light pollution on a pilot basis. For the first time, data will be collected on the impact of different lighting in the railway station area on insect diversity and existing knowledge gaps in this regard will be closed. The BALIN project was launched in January 2021 and will run for four years.
Funded by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection as part of the Federal Biological Diversity Programme.
More information about the project ‘Art meets Biodiversity’
by InUrFaCE e. V.: https://art-meets-biodiversity.com/
