Apitherapy quarantine

Apitherapy Quarantine (AQ) was created in response to what seemingly is an increase in ‘quarantine’ or ‘isolationist’ thinking in today’s socio-political climate. By focusing on the big, sometimes ‘imagined’ or ‘fake’ threats, we limit our ability to see what may be greater dangers on our doorstep. The AQ looks at our relationship to bees, a less visible threat to human survival. Viruses don’t just target humans. They can infect all forms of life from bacteria to bananas, soil to chickens, and also honeybees. A human-caused pandemic is killing billions of insects and bees worldwide. A lethal combination of neonicotinoid pesticide use, the varroa mite, deformed wing virus, trade and habitat loss are all contributing to a fast and alarming decline in bee populations. Bees and other pollinators are responsible for pollinating over 80% of all flowering plants, including up to 70% of our top human food crops. A mass die-off of bees could trigger a chain reaction resulting in devastating impacts to global food production. We lose bees, we starve. The Apitherapy Quarantine explores our symbiotic relationship to bees, via an immersive spa-meets-science-lab-meets-urban-agriculture environment in an ongoing Fair Share Fare collaboration with Arts House’s resident colony of bees. Apitherapy is a branch of alternative medicine that uses bees and bee products to treat specific ailments. The AQ therapists will offer isolated treatments for what may ail you in mind, body, spirit and/or community. You may want to rush out. You may be put to work. You may never want to leave. Please note: The AQ asks you to leave your possessions, fears, sins, secrets and desires before entering. This gesture is based on a reinterpretation of a medieval tradition called ‘telling the bees’ – an observance where a bee speaker would share important community news with the bee colony. Lorna Hannan is the resident bee speaker at Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall.