BEE TOTEM

“The honey bee, declared the most important species on Earth, is the poster-child for the climate crisis. The health of global bee populations is inextricably linked to the healthy functioning of all land based ecosystems.

Their plight as a species in decline has become iconic of this critical moment in our relationship with the planet.

The Bee Totem floats in the centre of space, appearing to be not only alive, but in flight. The painstaking repetition and precise execution of its uniformity create the illusion of a digital object, engineered through technological means. Yet it is made by the eye and hand of one person. Entirely analogue, never calculated. Each decision and placement made in visceral response to the last. The potential harmony of humanity and technology resonates.

The Bee Totem becomes part of its environment. It breathes with the movement of the air and the sound waves generated by its audience. It transforms in the shifting light of the day. The Bee Totem only exists in its interaction with the environment that holds it.

Bee Totem peacefully captivates audiences, and asks them to consider the critical junction at which we stand in our relationship with both the natural and technological environments. It reminds us that the responsibility to guide their inevitable interaction, is in our hands.”

Sound design : Caleb Jacobs Light Projection: Nema Adel Film: Adam Scarf

Bee Totem is currently being built. Details on exhibition TBC.

This work is made possible with funding support from the Inner West Council.

No bees are harmed in this process. They are collected post mortum from local beekeepers.

Photography and film by Leo Harunah @visualsbyrazak, with funding support from Create NSW.

Resin Sponsorship: Illawarra Coatings

EXIT

photography by Leo Harunah @visualsbyrazak

EXIT is a silent swarm that hovers in mid air, forming a glittering tunnel; a portal; a path. It asks us to pause and consider our current direction. Is this the path we would like to take? Where might it lead us?

EXIT implores audiences to hear the cries of a land in distress. Hundreds of honey bees (collected post mortem from local beekeepers) are immortalised and magnified in a frozen moment after death. Every hair, every delicate, veined wing is magnified. Each orb is a memorial, a silent eulogy for the hard working honey bee.

Alone, the orbs inspire appreciation of the honey bee. En masse, they amplify the immensity of the species’ crisis. 750 orbs, each crafted carefully with one pair of human hands over several months, subvert the capitalist ideals of efficiency and unencumbered growth that have led us to disconnect from the natural systems that support our existence.