Releasing the Hive Mind (working title)
Ungenda
7.5' x 5' x 5'
Blown glass, glass vitrine, canvas, drugs, paint, bees
20??
Let’s start with the title: Releasing the Hive Mind. I don’t pretend to know exactly what this project is about, but it’s well loaded with lives, fear (for some), scientific relevance and microcosmic philosophical inquiries. Most importantly, I want bees to paint for me, I’ve never been good at it anyway. We’ll figure it out after that.
Hot glass is blown into a three foot diameter mold of a brain. This is attached to the top of a five foot vitrine, with only small portals connecting the two. As the bees pass through the portals, they pick up a mixture of paint and a drug or chemical which affects the bees behavior. They then go to the one canvas side of the vitrine, which has been sprayed from the back with a pattern of sugar water, directing the miniature minions to create and interpret my vision. Intermittently I change the color and drug combinations, and spray a new sugar water pattern on the canvas.
Through utterly manipulating this tiny society, I hope to raise and answer questions about motivation, individual vs. society, psychoactive chemicals, visual expression, and whether bees like to paint.
In addition to drawing awareness to Colony Collapse Disorder, experimenting with how bees function and malfunction could provide direct research data or inspire scientists to consider new angles and understandings in bee theory.
I have an offer of partial funding from a noted Seattle collector, an offer of bee donation from an apiarist, and Rock | Dement gallery has preliminarily accepted the installation. A little more funding is necessary...
Ungenda
7.5' x 5' x 5'
Blown glass, glass vitrine, canvas, drugs, paint, bees
20??
Let’s start with the title: Releasing the Hive Mind. I don’t pretend to know exactly what this project is about, but it’s well loaded with lives, fear (for some), scientific relevance and microcosmic philosophical inquiries. Most importantly, I want bees to paint for me, I’ve never been good at it anyway. We’ll figure it out after that.
Hot glass is blown into a three foot diameter mold of a brain. This is attached to the top of a five foot vitrine, with only small portals connecting the two. As the bees pass through the portals, they pick up a mixture of paint and a drug or chemical which affects the bees behavior. They then go to the one canvas side of the vitrine, which has been sprayed from the back with a pattern of sugar water, directing the miniature minions to create and interpret my vision. Intermittently I change the color and drug combinations, and spray a new sugar water pattern on the canvas.
Through utterly manipulating this tiny society, I hope to raise and answer questions about motivation, individual vs. society, psychoactive chemicals, visual expression, and whether bees like to paint.
In addition to drawing awareness to Colony Collapse Disorder, experimenting with how bees function and malfunction could provide direct research data or inspire scientists to consider new angles and understandings in bee theory.
I have an offer of partial funding from a noted Seattle collector, an offer of bee donation from an apiarist, and Rock | Dement gallery has preliminarily accepted the installation. A little more funding is necessary...