This Is London 23 September 2016

16
BE PERFORM LIVE INSIDE THE HIVE
AT KEW GARDENS
For the first time ever, BE – the
musical collective behind the beguiling
soundscape that fills Wolfgang Buttress’
Hive – will perform live inside The Hive
at Kew Gardens, amongst a thousand
flickering lights, glowing against the
night sky, and the sound and energy of
40,000 bees.
Having wowed audiences with their
immersive, ambient soundscapes at
Glastonbury, BE will perform their
critically acclaimed album ONE, for two
nights only, within the multi-award
winning installation inspired by the
plight of the British bee – the initial
inspiration for the musical project.
Visitors will find themselves inside
The Hive, lost within a symphony of bee
and man, experiencing a beautifully,
hypnotic live projection of bees moving
across a black gauze that engulfs the
band. A fiercely immersive experience,
visitors will be able to sense the vital
role that pollinators play in this world,
through music, science and art.
BE will also perform their newly
released single, Blue Lullaby,
showcasing never before heard
vibrational messages between
honeybees, discovered by Dr Martin
Bencsik – an expert in bee
communication, whose previous
discoveries can be heard within The
Hive’s soundscape.
Dr Martin Bencsik says about this
new discovery; ‘One of our aims is to
exhaust the repertoire of vibrational
messages that honeybees use. This
latest discovery is an additional string
to the bow of bees, a word in their
vocabulary that we did not know of,
until now.’
The evening will give visitors the
chance to immerse themselves in the
world of the British bee, with Kew
experts and beekeepers on hand to
reveal the fascinating world of these
remarkable insects.
Towering 17 metres high, The Hive
twists out of the ground in a shape
suggestive of a swarm of bees and
creates the perfect setting for a truly
magical and meditative evening of live
music.
KIM SMITH – DREAMERS
Kim Smith’s artistic creativity stems
from an early age. Born in Sidcup, South
London her Swedish and English-
Romani heritage gives her a rich
background of eclectic influences.
As a young artist, Kim is already
receiving a lot of attention. She has been
featured in the last few group shows at
the Laurence Alkin Gallery and has been
picked to participate in the charity
exhibition ‘All Our Hearts Beat As One’ at
Gallery Different (13–15 October).
Kim has also been selected to show a
poster reproduction of her acclaimed
neon piece – ‘Dreamers’ at Regent’s Park
station during Frieze week and beyond,
through Art Below. This respected
organisation has chosen a small group
of progressive and talented artists to
showcase their work to a massive
audience in the art world. This will
culminate in a group show at the Truman
Brewery, Brick Lane (27–30 October),
where other original neon works and
limited prints piece will be displayed.
‘Dreamers’ is very much a signature
piece exploring her understanding the
complex nature of the human condition,
as it is in twilight-blue neon it has a
seductive, come closer feel, yet
expresses an honest and pure sentiment,
of how we love, we laugh and we cry,
sometimes all at the same time.
This is all leading up to a solo show
(aptly entitled ‘Dreamers’) at the
Golborne Gallery from 17–27 November.
The show will feature her neon pieces as
well as some more experimental work,
tackling ‘dreams’ in a broader sense.
The personal and romantic nature of
Kim’s own narrative now crosses over into
a socio-political context, where someone
else’s story and their interpretation of
‘dreams’ will have a different meaning.
Kim presents ideas of hope and salvation
on an emotional and spiritual level but
also in terms of practical action and
personal involvement. This notion is
reflected further in her work with the
David Lynch Foundation of Education
based Consciousness and World Peace.
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