mellifera
mellifera consists of an on-line interactive environment in Second Life which is linked to a complimentary series of real-time exhibitions in gallery and museum spaces. Central to this ecologically sensitive artwork is the artists’ direct engagement with various aspects of bee behaviour at Queensland Brain Institute, where researchers are investigating cognition, navigation and communications in the honey bee. The artists’ poetic and scientific interactions with the bees has inspired the development of mellifera’s experimental series of human / computer interfaces, which provide modes of sensory delivery for both virtual and real-world participant interactivity. They are creating a space that allows the viewer to interact with artificial life created in virtual worlds through direct physical engagement with various interfaces – providing a platform for the investigation of posthuman technologies and modes of sensory delivery. The launch at gaffa introduces key artificial life organisms that are central to the developing virtual environment, providing a taste of the real-world interactive interfaces due to premiere in Brisbane in August 2009 at ‘the block’, QUT.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
Video Credits: Preliminary edit by Ben Wikes
(mellifera @ the block documentary images courtesy Keith Novak)