By Tyler Ody
An interactive art installation measuring 10 metres high, and consisting of 700 origami bees, has opened at an Oxford shopping centre.
An interactive climate art project at Westgate shopping centre in Oxford has generated more than 2,000 public ‘pledges’.
The installation, called Swarm, has been commissioned to bring alive the importance of bees in the world and inspire the public to take small positive actions to protect them. It remains open to the visitors until Sunday 16 April.
The 10-metre-long artwork is formed of 700 black and yellow, individually screen-printed, hand-folded origami ‘fortune tellers’ that represent a swarm of bees.
Leonie Bradley, the artist behind Swarm, said: “Everyone remembers making fortune tellers as a child. It’s a playful way to talk about the ecological crisis and to bring people together to discover simple ways to help the bees.”
Organisers say bees are a significant symbol of the ecological decline facing the planet and are at risk of habitat loss, climate change, exposure to toxic pesticides and disease.
Each guest who attended Westgate Oxford between 3 - 10 April was able to visit a free bee-themed gallery, fold their own origami bee and make a pledge to grow bee-friendly plants and trees around the places where people live and work.
Over that period, more than 2,500 guests visited the gallery, and more than 2,250 pledges were made. All bees made at the workshop were then used to build a second Swarm installation which will be on display in the Oxford-based shopping centre until Sunday 16 April.
Art students from local schools are actively involved in the public gallery, helping the organisers to inspire guests to ‘make a bee and make a pledge’ for the project, and Oxfordshire County Councillor Liz Leffman also attended the exhibition during its initial launch phase.
Swarm has been created by the award-winning artist Leonie Bradley in collaboration with Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair. It draws on research and insight from scientists at the School of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience at the University of Bristol to help individuals engage more deeply with the natural world.
Brendan Hattam, Centre Director at Westgate Oxford, said: “We are thrilled to be hosting the Swarm installation. With sustainability at the forefront of everyone’s minds, we know that our guests are on the lookout for ways to be more climate conscious.
“Partnering with Leonie and Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair is one way we can help the local community to take creative climate action. We encourage guests of all ages to visit the installation and to make a pledge to help protect the bees in our community.”
Matt Bell, the Chair of Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair added: “Art is fundamental to tackling the climate crisis because it helps you see the world differently. This project is designed to take art out of the gallery into a fabulous shopping destination where we can invite people to do something fun, creative, and important for the planet. Few things change the world like art can.”
Swarm will be at Leiden Square in Westgate Oxford until Sunday 16 April.
More information about the installation can be found online at https://westgateoxford.co.uk/swarm
Cllr Leffman and Leonie Bradley
