# No. 5 – Spike Flower

Opened tips release the colour hidden inside. A glimpse into the concealed, arguing for the fragility and beauty of our ecosystems.

- **Completed:** July 9, 2023
- **Size:** 70 × 70 × 10 cm
- **Edition:** Unique artwork, handcrafted
- **Material:** Archival paper 120 g/m², orange colored paper 160 g/m²
- **Substrate:** Finnish cardboard 980 g/m², Finnish wood board, 70 × 70 × 0.2 cm, beige
- **Frame:** white lacquered wood
- **Parts:** 127 hexagonal pyramids

The Spike Flower is a carefully designed, three-dimensional paper installation consisting of a multitude of delicate hexagonal pyramids. Some of these pyramids are opened, revealing bold color accents inside that give the work an unexpected depth.

The shaping is reminiscent of natural structures, such as the efficient honeycombs of bees or the diversity of floral patterns. With its precise geometry, the Spike Flower invites reflection on the clever use of resources in nature and seeing this as inspiration for a sustainable way of living.

The “glimpse into the hidden” is meant to awaken appreciation for the inconspicuous treasures of our environment. At the same time, the installation symbolizes the fragility and beauty of ecosystems, whose protection is our responsibility, even if this necessity is not always obvious at first glance.

## Images

![A round white disc of paper spikes on a pale wall, the tips opening at its centre to release orange](https://larigami.de/_astro/1.BQSHi5yV_79BM0.webp)

![Close-up, individual tips unfolded into six-petalled stars](https://larigami.de/_astro/2.BuMLT1AL_Z73Hus.webp)

![Angled view of the rows, the unfolded stars sitting on the pyramid tips](https://larigami.de/_astro/3.QiYZY2UB_ZIIHAY.webp)

![The work in a slim wooden frame above a desk with a chair and reading lamp](https://larigami.de/_astro/7.CTlbng9V_Z11Vqo4.webp)

![Steep view along the long spikes with the opened tips set between them](https://larigami.de/_astro/4.3BsPVKEp_ZLVh9l.webp)

![A dense field of spikes, every other row carrying an unfolded star](https://larigami.de/_astro/5.BhmXmlm__8FE6r.webp)

![View from the side across the edge, the spikes standing off the ground as a wreath](https://larigami.de/_astro/6.S-ahXUja_Z31Gp1.webp)

## Videos

- [The camera moving over the disc as it lies flat, the opened tips passing by as little stars](https://cdn.larigami.de/videos/artworks/5/c.mp4)
- [Raking light travelling across the disc, bringing out the orange inside the opened tips](https://cdn.larigami.de/videos/artworks/5/a.mp4)
- [The artist brushing over the finished disc as it lies flat on the worktable](https://cdn.larigami.de/videos/artworks/5/b.mp4)

_© 2023 Larisa Semke – larigami.de. Any use requires prior permission: https://larigami.de/en/imprint/_

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- This page on larigami.de: https://larigami.de/en/artworks/5/
- Deutsche Version: https://larigami.de/de/artworks/5/