Dung Beetle Project
Public Park Permanent Outdoor Sculpture: “Dung Ball and Beetles”
Green Point Urban Park, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
About the project
The project comprised the fabrication and installation of a large-sculptural artwork representing a dung ball and two dung beetles. Intended as a permanent outdoor installation, the sculpture celebrates natural processes, craftsmanship, and material honesty; combining woven laminated timber, stainless steel rods and carved hardwood elements. The sculpture also has a practical function, in that it houses the pump system for the water feature in the park.
Collaboration with MEWA
David Marks, owner of MEWA (Pty) Ltd, had overall responsibility for the project and the conceptualization, design and engineering of the 3.2 metre dung ball. David is known internationally for his large-scale engineered glulam wood forms, exquisite staircases and furniture. Recent work includes the large free form timber canopy structures at the Addo Eco Lodge in the Eastern Cape and the Greenpoint Educational Dome Project in the Green Point Urban Park. For more information on MEWA please visit https://www.mewa.co.za/.
The Wood Used for the Dung Beetle Sculptures
The Sugar Gum (Eucalyptus cladocaly) used to sculpt the two dung beetles is a Class Heavy Hardwood known for its exceptional durability. The tree used for this project was well over 100 years old, judging by its tree rings, and located in a suburban garden in Athlone, Cape Town. It had been dead for about 20 years, making it an ideal choice. Our thanks go to the homeowner who requested the removal of this tree.
The Dung Beetle Sculptures
The sculptures are representations of dung beetles that shape the dung into a ball and roll it away to escape competition. They bury the dung ball and lay eggs inside. Their young hatch and use the dung as a food source. These beetles are valuable in clearing waste, cycling nutrients and aerating the soil.
South African dung beetles are well-known for their ability to navigate and orient themselves as they roll their dung balls. They use the polarization of the sun and the light of the Milky Way to do so.
The dung beetle bodies were sculpted from the trunk of a single Sugar Gum tree, and the legs were sculpted from its branches. The male dung beetle positioned against the dung ball is 1.6 metres in length, excluding legs, and weighs approximately 450 kilograms. The female dung beetle on top of the dung ball is 1.3 metres in length, excluding legs, and weighs approximately 200 kilograms.
For further information about the Project or the commissioning of large-scale sculptures please contact Ceridwen Oliver-Evans, Business Manager using the Contact Form below.
Gallery
