On 3 March 2023, artist Edgar Honetschläger won the competition for a permanent art installation at the Türkenschanze Campus of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences.
The judges explained their decision as follows:
“WALK OF INSECTS comprises 13 granite slabs set into the forecourt of Wilhelm Exner House. Each slab is engraved with the image of an insect species and a text. Collectively, these form something of an artistic ‘insect manifesto’ made up of 13 demands compiled by the artist in collaboration with an entomologist. Another integral component of the project is a plot of rural land that is to be purchased with the aim of transforming it into a ‘non-human zone’. Go Bugs Go, an association that Edgar Honetschläger established together with biologists, economists, ecologists, farmers, lawyers, art historians and public notaries, is committed to conserving habitats for insects.
With his project WALK OF INSECTS, Edgar Honetschläger calls attention to the drastic human-induced decimation of insects and places the question of society’s relationship with nature at the centre of an artistic manifesto and a collaborative action. He combines artistic research with eco-activism and hones in on the principles applied by BOKU, a university of life sciences that sets itself apart by virtue of its holistic approach in research and education. His imagery and text in combination with a non-human zone make a strong statement and together constitute a progressive approach that aligns with the tenets of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, which seeks solutions for societal issues and a sustainable future.”