the beehive

the collection

In the same way as bees gather pollen and nectar, the collected products and experiences need to be brought together in the beehive. bee free enables an immediate juxtaposition of different stories, regions and impressions, showing differences as well as parallels, possible synergies as well as contradictions.

the exhibition

The representation of diversity will be considered more important than the quantity. bee free aims to collect all landscapes along the former Iron Curtain, millions of kilometres flown across the borders, as the ideal sum of the trans-European biodiversity in countless jars of honey. Honey becomes the symbolic carrier of the border stories. By rearranging what used to be divided, the collection shows new relations: a new semiotic space is created.
Visitors are free to taste and buy the honey corresponding to a specific story. During the degustation they will discover the sense of ‚terroir‘ and make associations with a precise region. Complementary short films, aesthetically salient pollen analyses or impressions of the collected landscapes offer visitors an opportunity to experience the complexity of the green corridor. Dialogues, narrative interviews, as well as the option of buying honey as a part of the artwork provide guidance for further development and shall be deemed as first steps for the establishment of a brand.

interaction

An anthology film will be created with the help of the travellers – a portrait of the past and present diversity of Europe, a journey into the world of swarms and landscapes that will tell about the perception of the former border area 25 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain. The playful occupation with the cultural phenomenon „bee“ allows the communication of serious historic, sociologic and ecologic issues to the broad public.

An interactive website will be initiated to encourage cooperation and exchanges. This is where information is gathered, where travellers and locals can start networking, where experience and knowledge are shared. The platform enables cross-border cooperations. Anyone can become part of bee free without any hindrances.