A superorganism is a group of synergetically interacting organisms of the same species. It describes a social unit of eusocial animals, where the division of labour is highly specialised and where individuals are not able to survive by themselves for extended periods. While SUPERORGANISM at the GreenWay holds true to most of this, its distinct parts – artist and scientist Penelope Cain, artist, transdisciplinary scholar/ educator and beekeeper Barbara Doran and sound maker, artist and educator Susanne Pratt – are uniquely themselves and quite capable of surviving by themselves.
They have, however, created one of the most intriguing collaborative cross-disciplinary projects we’ve ever seen (and we’ve seen a lot). SUPERORGANISM is a participatory project that coalesces each artist’s practice, with a common grounding in pattern finding and systems of information exchange, as well as complexity and well being.
Bees are a classic superorganism, an indicator species of ecological change, and the touchstone of this project, with the artists and other collaborators developing and evolving a series of events: catalytic conversations, collective humming, group journalling, environmental sound baths, telephoning the bees and messaging the future.
Photography, performance art, video, sound, walking and beekeeping, inSIGHT asked Barbara and Penelope to tell us even more!