Design
These Hermit Crabs Carry Tiny Cities on Their Backs
A Japanese artist uses 3D printing to create cityscape shells for the crustaceans.
Hermit crabs are naturally found along the shoreline of tropical areas throughout the Indo-Pacific region, the western Atlantic, and the Carribean. But the ones in Aki Inomata’s latest art project move from city to city—from Tokyo to Paris, even to the Greek island of Santorini.
The whole migration process takes just a few minutes: All the crustaceans have to do is move into a new shell.