The Dactylian Five

Frenchman Florent Marrot participated in a series of 10 weekly explorations of shrinking mankind at the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam. One of his rather curious responses to the idea of becoming smaller was to divide himself into five 50 cm small versions of himself, thus compensating his diminished size by multiplication. By doing so he created a peculiar vision on collaboration and social behaviour of smaller mankind. The “Marrot Five” remind of the Dactyloi (from the Greek word for fingers), the archaic mythical race of very small male beings born from the mother of gods Rhea. As she squatted in labor she dug her fingers into the earth, which brought forth ten little men. According to legend the Dactyloi were the first metallurgists, iron toolmakers and healing magicians, and taught mathematics and the alphabet to humans. An interesting combination of talents and professions.

The connection between small size, collectivity, and tool making is perhaps not surprising if we consider some of the new challenges smaller humans will face.