SWARM

SWARM by Gillian Probert is an installation of over 300 real honey bees encased in clear, nontoxic resin and suspended from gold wire to appear as if a swarm of bees is flying through the gallery. The project began in 2022, when Probert started noticing the number of dead bees she came across in her daily life and felt compelled to collect and preserve them. After months of experimentation, she discovered a way to encase each bee so it would last forever. First exhibited as part of her college thesis, "Indispensable Beauty," the original installation featured approximately 200 real honey bees. Since then, the work has grown to nearly 400 bees and has been shown in six exhibitions, including The Factory, FL CraftArt, Drew Marc Studios, and the Neilsen Center for Visual Arts. SWARM quietly reveals how many bees a single person can find in one year, asking what that says about the world’s declining bee populations. Through this work, Probert transforms loss into preservation, creating a gentle call to protect the fragile lives that keep our environment in balance.