History

For The Love of Bees has evolved out of another bee focused social sculpture called The Park 2014-2015 which was co-created with Aucklanders, and initiated by artists Sarah Smuts-Kennedy and Taarati Taiaroa.

Social sculpture is unique, in that it invites the viewer to become a creator rather than an observer of the artwork. Sarah gravitated in this direction after realising that her earlier art-making practice maintained a separateness, where the observer of the content continued to remain outside and unaffected by the field where the content was occurring. She became interested in finding new art-making languages that could function as a real agent for change.

The Park was activated, designed and materialised through public initiative across Auckland, New Zealand from May 3, 2014 to April 4, 2015. The Park's materialisation was mapped online through a collective line-drawing. The heart of The Park was located in the centre of Auckland City, in Victoria Park, which housed 6 beehives over a hexagonal Pasture Painting.

The artwork created moments of wilderness across the city and allowed people to simply see and be with bees for a whole year. It provided a form to mobilise people and gave them as individuals a way to practice caring for bees, and a means to make their empathy and care visible to others.

Andrea Reid was a participant within The Park. The experience inspired her to create Pollinator Paths, which is now written into the Unitary Plan.

Sarah was commissioned by the Auckland Design Office in 2016 to create another social sculpture to activate the inner city.  A city-wide collaboration was conceived  which is called For the Love of Bees, an artwork where real transformation of the city’s ecosystem will occur through community-led actions.

In 2018 For The Love of Bees became a registered charity.

Inspired by growing flowers that are safe for bees and collectively imagining a city safe for pollinators, we have evolved into a not-for-profit trust now focused on growing radical hope through food.

A partnership with Auckland Council, our major funder.

Registration of For the Love of Bees Charitable Trust : Registration Number is CC55674