Bees Beside Us,
agnès b.
35-36 Floral Street,
London WC2E 9DJ (Nearest Tube: Covent Garden)
Exhibition from: 3 May – 1 June 2013
Private View: Thursday 2 May 2013, 6.00 – 8.30pm
Bees Beside Us introduces a new type of beehive: an urban living space designed from the perspective of the honeybee. This exhibition showcases Pliszka’s practice informed by her study of honeybees and wild-bee nest architecture merging the fields of art, science and nature.
Brought together for the first time, Pliszka’s innovative and meticulously crafted beehives can be seen in a unique fashion environment. Commissioned by the French designer and gallerist agnès b. for her flagship London store, these new works promote an increasing awareness of the fragility of bees, their importance to civilization and what must be done to ensure their wellbeing in the city, respecting Albert Einstein’s ethos - “No more bees, no more Man.’’
agnès b. and Pliszka share a common interest in environmental concerns, a love of natural materials and attention to the future of how and where things are made. Pliszka’s beehives combine natural hand-turned, British Walnut wooden domes and bespoke pleated textiles to create the sensitive and expandable space that honeybees’ require. The textiles are made of natural fibres such as silk organza and leather adorned with hand-stitched patterns that respond to honeybees’ vision of complex pattern recognition. These elements can be layered depending on the season to maintain the hive at a constant temperature, reflecting the rituals of dressing for the weather. Exhibited alongside the hives are complimentary bespoke accessories including an insect forage garden and a selection of Pliszka’s hand-made pots for plants and a ceramic birdbath displayed on the roof terrace.
Pliszka became fascinated by the plight of the honeybee - whose worldwide population has decreased by 30 % in the last twenty years - during her studies at Central Saint Martins where her final year project focused on the creation of a new type of hive for the increasing number of bees populating Britain’s cities. Bees Beside Us forges a new relationship with bees in the urban context and appreciates all they do for us far beyond the provision of honey.
www.amypliska.com
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