“Sounds of Insects – The Smallest Orchestra” at the Natural History Museum Dubrovnik
The engaging exhibition “Sounds of Insects – The Smallest Orchestra” opened at the Natural History Museum Dubrovnik, where visitors can not only explore the exhibition but also listen to the sounds of nature—the calls and songs of insects.
Produced by the Croatian Natural History Museum, the exhibition presents the diversity of singing insects and explains how they produce and perceive sound. The exhibition’s soundscape was created by bioacoustician Boštjan Perovšek, while the insect models on display were made by academic sculptor Denis Krašković with the assistance of Branimir Tadić and Petar Crnčan. The exhibition also showcases part of the Croatian Natural History Museum’s extensive entomological collection, featuring more than 1,200 insect specimens.
The Director of the Natural History Museum Dubrovnik, Ana Kuzman, expressed her satisfaction with the continued collaboration between the two museums and emphasized that the displayed specimens represent only a small part of the Croatian Natural History Museum’s rich collections.
Exhibition co-author Petar Crnčan explained that the exhibition is dedicated to the smallest organisms that play an essential role in terrestrial ecosystems. Its aim is to introduce visitors to the insect species that produce sounds, explain how and why they communicate acoustically, and present recent research findings in the field of insect communication.
During the opening ceremony, Boštjan Perovšek performed a live musical piece using insect sounds featured throughout the exhibition. Visitors were welcomed by Tatjana Vlahović, Director of the Croatian Natural History Museum, while the exhibition was officially opened by Jelka Tepšić, Deputy Mayor of Dubrovnik.
The exhibition remained open until 30 November.