Ptarmigan operated in Tallinn from 2011-2014. We no longer maintain any presence in Tallinn, but this website will continue to serve as an archive of the activities produced at Ptarmigan during these years.
Scientifically Speaking with Irene Moon began around 1997 to elevate entomology as a rock genre, a place it deserves to be credited and somehow neglected. Irene Moon, the laboratories public persona, was created as a synthesis of a prescription addicted high school algebra teacher and one of the Lennon sisters in the early days of the Lawrence Welk Show. She is quite strict, verbose, well articulated—and always dressed to perfection. Under the name Irene Moon we have proceeded in creating multimedia environments, organizations, happenings, and music. "For your pleasure or perhaps only just for mine."
The activities are broken up into parts based around two "Organizations" that present "Opportunities" to the public. The organizations are the I.M. Laboratories and the Begonia Society. The primary purpose of both of the organizations is to educate. The educational goals are science and the Moon esthetic. History has often given us the mimic, or the fool to show our own folly. The natural sciences are an imperfect art, idealized and often misinterpreted by the public. My installations, happenings, and films, presented under a scientific pretext, introduces chaos and decadence into this assumed sterile realm, revealing an underlying dependence in society on progress and the images symbolizing the advancement of humankind. Recent work with the IM Laboratories continuing Lectography explores communication of scientific thought, idiosyncrasies and stereotypes of scientist/lecturers and the assimilation of scientific advancement into our daily experience. This is primarily expressed through a series of factual lectures with slides (most recently powerpoint), handouts, demonstrations and live specimens. Pop quizzes and original music accompanies Irene Moon. Recent infiltration into the Department of Entomology at Field Station B.
In the constant quest for association… Irene has positioned herself as a Graduate student in the Department of Entomology at the University of Kentucky, with a research concentration in Systematics. THE GOAL: To forward the conneXXXion between the fashion of science and the world of the Begonia Society. Opportunities presented in the past to musical audiences are now divulged in a scientific environment, the intimate bond between modern entomologists and their work is open for observation by the Moon public.
