{"id":17700,"date":"2026-06-14T19:02:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T17:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hohlweg.de\/tell-me-where-the-beetles-are\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T22:35:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T20:35:58","slug":"tell-me-where-the-beetles-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hohlweg.de\/en\/tell-me-where-the-beetles-are\/","title":{"rendered":"Tell me where the bugs are"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

About Flying Diamonds, Chocolate Wrappers, and a Spoon Crest from Ulm<\/h2>\n\n
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You are currently viewing a placeholder content from Vimeo<\/strong>. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.<\/p> More Information<\/a> <\/div>

Unblock content<\/a> Accept required service and unblock content<\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n

June has the floor. Outside, there\u2019s a buzz and a hum again\u2014in the hedges, the meadows, and through the warm air\u2014that delicate, humming orchestra of tiny creatures that delights me anew every summer. <\/p>\n\n

Not everyone shares my enthusiasm, I know. But anyone who\u2019s already inwardly cried out, \u201cEww!\u201d can sit back and relax: My beetle species are all staying right where they are. They\u2019re behind glass\u2014not because we need to be wary of them, but because they, in turn, need protection from us: from the rigors of everyday life, from the careless hand that, with the best of intentions, is quick to disturb them too much. <\/p>\n\n

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If you look closely, you\u2019ll discover all sorts of shiny little beetles and crawling gems with scribbled-on little legs. I have to admit: these jewels of nature have me raving all over again\u2014and I can\u2019t help but sing their praises over and over, even for the tiniest crumb. I hope I can inspire you so much that you, too, will be drawn to this little scene like moths to a flame. <\/p>\n\n

So, let’s start from the beginning<\/p>\n\n

What Was on the Table<\/h3>\n\n

A small branch of dogwood. Spindle tree berries. Heather blossoms, a linden blossom, tomato leaves. Rosebuds, very small. Chocolate wrappers\u2014the shiny ones you\u2019re supposed to throw away, but which, unsurprisingly, I couldn\u2019t bring myself to throw away. Electronic resistors, whose wires I twisted into spirals. And lo and behold: the tiny shard of a Christmas ornament, which only now caught my eye with its silvery sheen on my work table. <\/p>\n\n

That was the material. So far, so innocent. <\/p>\n\n

What came of it<\/h3>\n\n

The chocolate wrappers were transformed into beetles\u2014with antennae made of electronic resistor wires, which now radiate a dignity reminiscent of horned rams. Some beetles have the body of a tiny rosebud. Others owe their shape to the fruits of the spindle tree. Anything else? Oh, right\u2014the tiniest little beetles were made from heather blossoms. <\/p>\n\n

\"Assemblage<\/figure>\n\n

The Habitat<\/h3>\n\n

Little branches of dogwood entwine the entire scene in lively twists and turns\u2014an airy home that is both a frame and a wilderness. Tomato greens have settled like an evergreen star, landing at the edge of the delicate structure. A linden blossom joins in the play. And a few other plant remnants that wish to remain incognito\u2014not everything here needs to be identified down to the last detail, and I respect that. <\/p>\n\n

In short: If you don’t look closely, there’s really nothing else of significance to see here. <\/p>\n\n

The Weight of Things<\/h3>\n\n

And then there’s the spoon coat of arms from Ulm.<\/p>\n\n

\"Detail<\/figure>\n\n

A modest enamel artifact that lends weight to the entire scene. It is more than just a casual reference to a location. Rather, it is a clue\u2014an answer to a question that must be asked urgently. <\/p>\n\n

So if someone asks you, \u201cTell me where the bugs are!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Now you know the answer:<\/p>\n\n

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In Ulm, around Ulm, and all around Ulm!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

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About the Work – Tell Me Where the Beetles Are<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

These spoon crests inspired me to create a new series\u2014and I\u2019m convinced that art on such a small scale has a higher purpose than just hanging in a souvenir shop. Since then, various coats of arms from different hiking regions have appeared in my works, each carrying with it its entire origin\u2014the place, the outing, and the moment it was found. <\/p>\n\n

Speaking of hiking: That\u2019s the key word. The new series is called \u201cHiking Days\u201d<\/strong><\/a> \u2014and I invite you to let your gaze and thoughts wander through the assemblages right along with me. My own journey through this series has only just begun. More stops\u2014or works\u2014will follow. I\u2019m curious myself to see where this path will lead me. Thank you for joining me for a while. <\/p>\n\n

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“Hiking Days” Series<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

P.S.: One more thing I’d definitely like to recommend: a novel about friendship, adventure, and a golden beetle<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

For anyone who has now developed a taste for K\u00e4fer, I recommend a book that I read with absolute enthusiasm\u2014and which I\u2019m mentioning for no other reason than this: It gripped me and wouldn\u2019t let go. <\/p>\n\n

*Miss Benson\u2019s Beetle*<\/em> by Rachel Joyce<\/strong> \u2014published in German as *Miss Bensons Reise*<\/em> \u2014tells the story of two very different women who set out from 1950s London: out into the world, and at the same time deep into their own lives. An unusual friendship, an adventurous journey\u2014and right in the middle of it all, a magical figure: a golden beetle, shrouded in legend and as elusive as the Holy Grail. I\u2019d rather not give away any more\u2014it\u2019s best to order it in person from your favorite bookstore. <\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

About Flying Diamonds, Chocolate Wrappers, and a Spoon Crest from Ulm June has the floor. Outside, there\u2019s a buzz and a hum again\u2014in the hedges, the meadows, and through the warm air\u2014that delicate, humming orchestra of tiny creatures that delights me anew every summer. Not everyone shares my enthusiasm, I know. But anyone who\u2019s already […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":17399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[360],"tags":[723,408,419,815],"class_list":["post-17700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-collage-en","tag-assemblage","tag-insects","tag-kaefer-en","tag-ulm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hohlweg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hohlweg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hohlweg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hohlweg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hohlweg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17700"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/hohlweg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17700\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18485,"href":"https:\/\/hohlweg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17700\/revisions\/18485"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hohlweg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hohlweg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hohlweg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hohlweg.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}