Walter Oltmann examines relations between humans and other species through intricate wirework that unsettles hierarchy and categorization. Carapax (Borer), crafted in anodised wire and black spray paint, fuses insect and human traits. Evoking chainmail and masquerade, it suggests armour, metamorphosis, and festive transformation. The sculpture’s uncanny presence prompts empathy across species, envisioning life as hybrid being. Its title—“carapax,” or shell—underscores protective layering, while its subject, the borer beetle, elevates a familiar “pest” into symbol of the unhomely. Oltmann encourages viewers to reimagine coexistence, vulnerability, and the fragility of life beyond anthropocentric categories of beauty or value.

Courtesy of the Goodman Gallery, NIROX Foundation and the artist.