Nina Merk
she/her
Poland, 2003
ninamerk.com, @ninkazofia
Thesis: Are we worthy of calling our home a nest?
The partnership between bees and humans dates back to 10.000 years ago. First the prehistoric honey hunting that led to domestication and eventually to the well known apiaries nowadays. No wonder the honeybee has become one of the most examined insects in the world. While closely observing a hive, one can learn a lot about the climate effects on the neighbouring nature. Does observing such tiny creatures makes one become more alert to changes in their surroundings?
What Will it Bee? Builds on the Polish folk tradition of dripping hot beeswax through a keyhole into a pot of cold water. The shape that the wax solidifies in is later backlit to reveal a shadow prediction from which a vision of the future can be read. The mixed media installation explores the idea of a beekeeper as a prophet. It presents the outcome of a shared divination with five beekeepers of different ages and backgrounds, and conversations in which they share their hopes and fears about the future.
