Symbiosis is a series of interactive storytelling crowns. Put a crown on your head and become Queen Bee as your crown whispers a story in your ear; about bees, community, our natural world, and our relationships. Press a gem on the crown and the crown will record a story of your own, or perhaps your response to a question. Your story can then be shared and downloaded with other Symbiosis crowns worldwide.
Bees are disappearing from our planet at alarming rates. Bees are part of our ecosystem; they pollinate 70 out of the top 100 human food crops, which supply approximately 90 percent of the world's nutrition. While there are many causes attributed to the disappearance of bees, such as global warming, pollution, noise, and pesticides, all stem from our oppressive ecological footprint and our lack of symbiotic awareness and choices.
While the bees disappear, our human species is experiencing a lack of community. With technology, we are increasingly surrounded by people who share our same views and opinions. We are grouped on social media by our likes, creating homogenous societies, which lack diversity of thought and action. Our social interactions are becoming more and more superficial every day. Yet, at our core, we are social beings and crave meaningful interactions with others.
These imbalances are man-made. Through our own self-absorption, we’ve harmed not only the social world, but the natural one, too. Bees and their disappearance are the consequence of our eroding symbiotic relationships. Bees need each other, as do humans. We need bees, and now bees need us. We can benefit from understanding, valuing, and strengthening a hive mentality. Through awareness we can make better choices for our planet and our relationships.
Symbiosis is a series of interactive storytelling crowns. Put a crown on your head and become Queen Bee as your crown whispers a story in your ear; about bees, community, our natural world, and our relationships. Press a gem on the crown and the crown will record a story of your own, or perhaps your response to a question. Your story can then be shared and downloaded with other Symbiosis crowns worldwide.
Crowns are a symbol of power. In America, we struggle with a polarized political climate and prepare for upcoming elections as our natural world crumbles around us. The image of everyday people, of all ages and from all walks of life, wearing and whispering into a crown and exploring their personal power is inspiring and empowering.
Symbiosis unites people in conversations about how we live in harmony with nature and each other. This project is a collaborative effort between communities, bee keepers and myself to work as a call to action to save the bees. Crown stories will revolve around saving our planet, and questions will encourage thought donations that lead towards solutions of hope and personal power. Symbiosis will raise awareness through personal engagement, and inspire change by activating people’s primal emotions through art and beauty, one person at a time, one community at a time. Through presentations and workshops with participating communities, this interactive sculpture series will also bring diverse people together, in real time, as a hive mind to explore symbiotic relationships within their community that can be further represented in the sculpture. Meaningful change comes from mindfulness, ownership, and action.
