Bee Inspired - Bee Rome

An event organised by Istituto Svizzero, Roma, based on a proposal by artist Nives Widauer.

On the occasion of World Bee Day (20 May), the Istituto Svizzero is organising a two-day event that reaches out to the Roman public in order to have a discussion about the fragile coexistence of humans with bees. Day one comprises a multidisciplinary conference, which combines a distinctively scientific perspective with artistic expression. Contributions from different fields of study and research, including biology, ecology, history, literature, and art will not only point to the embeddedness of bees and honey in human thought and practice but also highlight the importance of pollinators for human livelihood. Along these lines, the second day invites interested people to an afternoon full of experiences with reference to the world of bees. Beekeepers’ demonstrations, honey tasting, guided tours, movie screenings, and activities for children want to raise awareness of endangered species, while at the same time demonstrating the value of bees for our society.

Nives Widauer was born in 1965 in Basel, Switzerland. In 1990 she graduated from the Class for Audiovisual Arts at the School Of Design Basel. Parallel to the first exhibitions (video installations) she created video sets and movies. Various Art Awards, scholarships and exhibitions followed. Nives Widauer lives in Vienna. In her recent work the artist plays with the interface between analogue and digital and she expanded her medias to painting and sculpture. Her works have recently been shown amongst other places at Kunsthaus Zurich, Museum Belvedere Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Austrian Cultural Forum New York, SPSI Shanghai.

Programme 

DAY 1, 11 May — Entrance from via Liguria 20

Introduction
09.45 – 10.00Welcome Address
10.00 – 10.30Nives Widauer (Artist, Basel/Vienna) To BEE(s) or how the Roman Barberini Bees led to a project about honey and Europe 
10.30 – 11.00 Coffee Break

Societies Compared
11:00 – 11.30Paolo Fontana (Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige)  Api e uomini, due società a confronto 
11.30 – 12.00Laurent Keller (Universityof Lausanne)  Bees, Ants and Humans. The Secrets of their Success 
12.00 – 12.15Discussion Panel 1

Sweet Histories of Bees 
12.15 – 12.45Damian Christinger (Independent Curator, Zürich) Honeycomb World: Cultural Histories of a Sweet Elixir
12.45 – 13.15Nina Fahr (University of Fribourg) Bees and Honey in Medieval German Literature – Of Charms and Symbols, Sweetness and Venom 13.15 – 13.30 Discussion Panel 2
13.30 – 15.00Lunch

Bee Health and Food Security 
15.00 – 15.30Lars Straub (University of Bern) An overview on bee health: from the solitary to highly eusocial species
15.30 – 16.00Barbara Gemmill-Herren (World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi) The Importance of Pollinators for Agriculture and Human Livelihood 
16.00 – 16.30Caterina Batello (Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome) The Role and Importance of Bees for Food Security and Nutrition
16.30 – 16.45Discussion Panel 3
16.45 – 17.15Coffee Break 

Of Symbols and Signs 
17.15 – 17.45Jürgen Müller (Technische Universität Dresden) Bruegel’s Beekeepers
17.45 – 18.15Elisabeth Priedl (Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna) The Bee Politics of the Barberine Family
18.15 – 18.30Discussion Panel 4   

19:00 till late: Concerts fino a La Fine — for the detailed programme click here


DAY 2, 12 May — Entrance from via Ludovisi 48 & Liguria 20

15:00
Screening movie More than Honey, in Sala Elvetica — via Liguria 20
Screening animation movie Bee movie, in the lunch canteen — via Ludovisi 48
Workshop Api: le migliori amiche possibili, Alessandra Giacomelli (Associazione Laziale Produttori Apistici) — via Ludovisi 48
Workshop Approccio multisensoriale al mondo apistico: degustazione di mieli, Marco Moretti (Associazione Laziale Produttori Apistici) — via Ludovisi 48
Guided tour on bees around Barberini area  — via Ludovisi 48

16:30 Tea time
Performance artist Nives Widauer 

17:00
Screening movie More than Honey, in Sala Elvetica — via Liguria 20
Screening animation movie Bee movie, in the lunch canteen — via Ludovisi 48
Workshop Api: le migliori amiche possibili, Alessandra Giacomelli (Associazione Laziale Produttori Apistici) — via Ludovisi 48
Workshop Approccio multisensoriale al mondo apistico: degustazione di mieli, Marco Moretti (Associazione Laziale Produttori Apistici) — via Ludovisi 48
Guided tour on bees around Barberini area  — via Ludovisi 48

Vai alla guida d'arte di Rome