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16 Jun 03:32

Quirky Monsters Playfully Occupy Abandoned Berlin Warehouses

by Kate Sierzputowski

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German street artist Kim Köster is doing the impossible—turning the typically scary content of monsters and abandoned buildings into interactive entertainment for children. Köster started by spray painting mischievous monsters in derelict warehouse sites outside of Berlin, allowing them to playfully interact with the surrounding architecture. Köster is now turning these works into an interactive children’s picture book called Monzter that gives kids a chance to play with these colorful creatures without having to wander into any creepy buildings.

The app invites the audience to reflect and laugh with the philosophical musings of children like, “Are ghosts able to see me?” and “How big is the sun?” The app is iPad compatible and available in the Apple app store.

Köster was born and raised in the North German village of Worpswede. Originally experimenting with drawing and watercolor, Köster moved into the graffiti scene. Like Monzter, he often employs new media within his work allowing for a wide public accessibility of his pieces. (via Geyser of Awesome)

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09 Jan 22:45

Macro Photographs of Singapore’s Most Unusual Insects and Arachnids by Nicky Bay

by Christopher Jobson

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Cicadae Parasite Beetle (Rhipiceridae)

One of my favorite Flickr accounts to follow is Singapore-based photographer Nicky Bay (previously) who ventures into some of the most ecologically diverse (ie. creepiest and crawliest) places in the world to shoot macro photos of insects, arachnids, and fungi. Bay went on 46 different shooting excursions in 2014 and discovered creatures that seem more at home in an Avatar movie than here on Earth. He’s also begun working more with ultraviolet light that he uses to reveal the natural fluorescence of many organisms he encounters. My favorite discovery while scrolling through Bay’s 2014 photos is this species of moth that builds a cage out of its own caterpillar spines to protect itself while in a pupal stage. You can follow his day-to-day adventures on Facebook.

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Archduke larva (Lexias pardalis dirteana)

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Caterpillar

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Freshly moulted Jumping Spider

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Harvestman illuminated with 365nm wavelength ultraviolet light; Millipede fluorescence.

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Treehopper (Membracidae)

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Cuckoo Bee

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Caged pupa. The spines of the caterpillar were used to construct this magnificent cage for protection during pupation.

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Bioluminescent fungi

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Longhorn beetle

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Huntsman Spider consuming prey exposed under ultraviolet light for 20 seconds.

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Twig Spider