Source: Reckhaus
The Erika case has gained increasing attention. Unsurprisingly, prisma couldn’t resist joining the ranks of the illustrious newspapers that had already covered Erika’s story. While prisma uncovered much of the background, some details are still emerging – offering the perfect excuse to return to our favourite fly in the future.
A Fly Like No Other
Some believe Erika is indestructible and will always be there for us. A beacon of hope in the dimly lit halls of the university. But now, tragically, the University of St.Gallen is trying to take her away from us and judging by their latest post, they seem to really be going through with it. In times like these, when the world feels uncertain, inflation is high, the exams creep closer and coffee prices keep rising, a loyal fly like Erika might be exactly what we all need. She has been part of our student lives for as long as many of us can remember, humming through countless exams and late-night study sessions. One student wrote, «Erika’s buzzing woke me up in time so I wouldn’t miss my exam.» Others say she was their most interesting discovery during Start Week.
The Legend of Erika
Erika was introduced to our world by the St.Gallen artist-twins Frank and Patrik Riklin, who were able to convince the German entrepreneur Dr. Reckhaus, a HSG alumnus, to transform his business model from using too much poison to producing non-toxic biocides, while using his profits for the further protection of insects.
Since her debut, Erika has had countless astonishing experiences, transcending her life as «just a fly» to become a legend. Her story is documented on a dedicated website (fliegenretten.de) and on a student-run website (savethefly.ch), which is now being used to rally support against her latest «expedition» – one from which she may not return.
The Fight to Save Her
As of May 2nd, the petition to save Erika has gathered 1,015 signatures. On the student-run website, the organisers note: «The old adage “if you love someone, let them go” does not apply to flies..» Why are students rallying behind her? The testimonials speak for themselves. One supporter wrote, «Erika saved my relationship, so I want to save Erika.» Another added, «She was the first fly to fly around the world.» Our fellow students have done everything they can to keep her here. On April 23rd they handed their petition over to the headmaster. As of May 8th, the art commission revealed their final plans to “kill” Erika a second time – showing little regard for the petition. In essence, they’re ignoring the voices of over 1,000 students. This reflects, as the authors of savethefly.ch put it, a cautious debate culture where student voices often go unheard.
After a report in the newspaper 20 Minuten, reporting on the strong emotional connection students feel for Erika, many other media outlets became aware of the story and were keen to cover it. These included the Frankfurter Allgemeine, the Tagesanzeiger, the national radio station SRF 1, the St.Galler Tagblatt, and others.
Even professors like Dr. Miriam Meckel, with nearly 200,000 followers on LinkedIn, used their reach to write about Erika and support the student initiative.
Why the University Wants Her Gone
So why would the university want to take away one of our most unique colleagues? In the Magazine Gehirn on March 16th, 2015, prisma wrote that «she would find her final rest in the intermediate corridor of the main building. » And when someone says, «final rest», you kind of expect it to be… well, final. As prisma already detailed back on December 8th, 2014, Erika had quite the journey before landing at HSG. She was one of only a few flies selected for the trip of a lifetime to St.Gallen – despite having died before she was even officially cast. According to the president and the vice president of the art commission, one reason they are considering removing Erika is that Reckhaus did not immediately discontinue the insect-harming segment of his business. Instead, he gradually shifted toward a more insect-friendly model. Although this transition has been underway since Erika was first installed – and has included compensatory measures such as creating insect habitats and clearly labeling harmful products with warnings like «This product kills insects» – the commission feels that in light of this, Erika does not fully represent the idea of insect respect. However, this view is contested and appears to involve deeper emotional, and possibly even personal, tensions between the entrepreneur and members of the commission.
Some say the only reason Erika is currently considered art is because of the QR code on the wall next to the fly – not that any student seems to have ever noticed it. However, without a clear narrative connected to the fly, it no longer qualifies as «concept art» and thus, for the art commission, isn’t even worthy of being deemed art anymore and therefore shall be removed. Another reason for its removal is that the artwork actually holds value. More on that later.
Art or Accounting?
In that same 2014 prisma article, Yvette Sánchez, Professor of Hispanic Culture and Literature and former president of the art commission, stated: «The art is 100 percent financed by private individuals and foundations.» Actually, the art at the University of St.Gallen is always acquired through donations and therefore technically has no monetary value, as the statutes of the university’s art foundation explicitly prohibit the sale or loan of any artwork to any other institution or individual. As a result, all pieces are recorded at a book value of CHF 0.00, which also eliminates the need for market-value-based insurance against theft or other risks. However, since Erika is only on loan, she does have a value – and the art commission no longer wants this type of artwork at the university. Because of its value, they would need to repay for insurance, which would cost them money. What they failed to mention, however, is that Erika’s sponsor is willing to cover the insurance costs for the next ten years.
The Real Story Isn’t Over
So, in fact, there is no valid reason to remove Erika, and the arguments put forth by the art commission are effectively nullified. There are still possible ways forward.
On behalf of the SHSG, an official letter was sent to Dr. Reckhaus, the owner of the artwork, outlining two possible solutions for Erika’s future. In the first scenario, he would donate Erika to the student body, allowing her to be relocated to Building 05. In the second, the existing loan agreement would be transferred to the SHSG, with the same outcome. Both options were developed in collaboration with the art commission – as of now, Dr. Reckhaus has not responded, and the final decision remains open. But even if she were to be taken away, Erika would forever live on in our hearts. Her true story doesn’t need to be accessed via a QR code or tied to a potentially greenwashed narrative. The real story of Erika has only just begun.