"... work begun in the dazzling sunshine receives its crown in the darkness."
The Life of the Bee, Maurice Maeterlinck, 1903
A visual exploration of the mysterious and poetic workings of an apiary. Bevelled glass and mirrors fracture and re-frame sequences of high-speed video, drawing attention to the delicate rhythms and architectures of the hives.
Presented on two adjacent monitors, the video loops compare intricate honeycomb structures with man-made frames; the collective behaviours of a colony with the minuscule movements of individual bees.
Each scene is partially obscured by thick vertical shadows - the result of a unique projection and re-capture process. The shadows distance the viewer from the work as we feel ourselves peeping at the insects from behind a barred window or grate. Faint, offset reflections appear in these dark areas, creating repeating patterns in the video that echo the complex geometries of the hives.
SCREENINGS 2010-11
Stone Squid Experimental Art Space, Hastings, UK
C.A.R. Media Art Fair, Essen, Germany
Directors Lounge, Berlin, Germany
Videomedeja: International Video Festival, Novi Sad, Serbia
CREDITS
RED Camera: Emma Dalesman
Additional editing: Will Martin
Shot on location in Kent, England and at the Willums Art Foundation, Pourrières, France
With thanks to Barbara and Keith Harris, Doris Woller
Screening format: DVD
Ratio 2 x 4:3
Running time 00:05:20 loop
© Michaela Nettell, 2010. Photo: Installation at Videomedeja International Video Festival, Museum of Contemporary Art, Novi Sad, Serbia, December 2010.