THE HIVE
The HIVE art installation was an initiative spear-headed by the KT Strategic Platform of Maridulu Budyari Gumal, the Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE). SPHERE is comprised of 14 organisations in the Sydney region, including local health districts, speciality health networks, universities, and medical research institutes. These organisations are working collaboratively to advance healthcare and identify solutions to specific cultural, social and environmental health issues.
The vision of the SPHERE KT and CCI Strategic Platform is to help share co-created knowledge to improve individual and community wellbeing. The HIVE was developed to further this goal, matching artists-in-residence with eight exemplary SPHERE initiatives. The artists worked closely with academics, health professionals, consumers and carers, exploring how art can be used to communicate complex community and social issues, such as the wellbeing of children from refugee backgrounds, palliative care, and mental health and addiction.
Each project featured in the HIVE drew on different art forms – from textiles and sculpture, to poetry and video – highlighting the many ways that the arts can enrich conversations on health(care) and how research can be communicated using visual, performative and literary means. The diverse projects were housed in a 3 x 10 x 3 metre interconnected, modular structure made from custom-printed cardboard and steel.
The HIVE is available for installation. If you are interested in learning more about the HIVE or would like to inquire about installation opportunities, please contact Professor Katherine Boydell at k.boydell@blackdog.org.au.
