Group members:
Yuying Wang (Abbey), Kye Li Chia, Manfredi Marullo, Carlotta Montanari
Brief:
Design a set of pluriversal household objects
Date:
3rd February - 10th March 2023
During the week, we visited Bee Urban, a bee farm located in Kennington Park. After speaking to the beekeeper, we found that the decline in bee population within urban areas is due to the loss of habitat, which in turn affects forage for food. To counter this, Bee Urban takes steps such as leaving honey for the bees during winter, providing supplements like baker's fondant and pollen patties to keep the bees stimulated and providing liquid feed during early summer and late winter.
We also asked about attracting bees to new bee homes and the beekeeper mentioned the use of pheromone lures to create a bait hive for swarming bees. Additionally, lemongrass or lemon balm can also be utilised to attract bees.
Based on the beekeeper's advice, we added the element of smell to our concept of designing artificial flowers that function as bee feeders. We made paper flowers with different characteristic to test it out with the bees.
We experimented with various colours (green, blue, purple, and yellow), scents (lemongrass and bergamot), and UV-reflective materials (banana peel and turmeric powder) to attract bees. Unfortunately, we had little success due to the bad weather.
We then shifted our focus to the design of the household items and came up with the idea of a woven basket made of lemongrass and banana peel which is filled with artificial flowers. However, the banana peel turned brown due to oxidation, so we are now considering replacing it with cotton fabric dyed with turmeric instead.
Feedback:
- If I’m sat at the table with bees, how can the environment adapt to the bees and human behaviours?
- Think about the macro part, can you get 7 billion people to create the flowers? How can you encourage other households to participate? (Teaching others to extend it to a macro lens)
- Is there a digital element? - introduce a digital element through social media
- Think about the context and scenario when they need
- Blurring the lines between nature space and human space (between human ritual and bees)
- What would the object look like if it were shared between us and the bees?
Reflection:
Visiting the bee farm and speaking to the beekeepers made me feel more in touch with the bees and motivated me to design something realistic and feasible for the bee population. Additionally, the idea of creating with unconventional materials like lemongrass, banana peel and turmeric is exciting.