'On Bees, Hives and the Human' - Part 3 - Rebecca Chesney This seminar 'On Bees, Hives and the Human' was chaired by Dr Helen Pheby, Deputy Curator, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and was hosted by the University of Sheffield. Rebecca Chesney was artist in residence at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) in 2010. She used her time there to research the bees and other wildlife on the estate, with a view to producing work for an exhibition at the Park's galleries to be held in April 2011. In conversation with Helen Pheby, one of the curators at YSP, Rebecca discusses in this film what her residency has taught her about bees and the landscape of the Park, thus bringing together two realms (art and estate management) that have in the past remained separate. Her work so far demonstrates the careful observation and research artists undertake when approaching a new topic, thus bringing them closer at times to the realms of science and (in this case) natural history. It also demonstrates the lively contemporary interest in art derived from ecological themes. Rebecca's project will leave a clear legacy in the Park. Additional bee hives are to be sited there and by next summer two wildlife meadows of bee-friendly plants, based on colour themes, will have been planted as creations in living land art. Watch YSP website for further developments. This seminar included contributions from a scientist, a cultural historian and a practising artist. Common themes emerged regarding the relationship of bees to human social, cultural and environmental concerns. There were also differences in emphasis as the balance of creative, scientific and cultural concerns was different for each speaker. The subject of 'bees' offers a rich field of interdisciplinary enquiry that allows exploration of the boundaries and synergies of different subject areas. The following presentations refer to laboratory exploration and observation, film, philosophy, literature, art, political theory and parkland management. The other speakers were Professor Francis Ratnieks, Professor of Apiculture (Evolution, Behaviour and Environment) at the University of Sussex and Dr Clare Preston, Fellow in English and Fellow of Curator of Pictures, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. In this presentation, Rebecca Chesney refers to her exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park , April-July 2011. You can hear Rebecca talking about her preparatory research for this exhibition by following the link below.