Tomáš Libertíny has a very unusual collaborator: honeybees. For nearly twenty years, the artist has developed a series of sculptures in wax and honeycomb produced by bees. Through experimentation and research, Libertíny has been able to coax his collaborators into creating increasingly complex honeycomb sculptures in all sorts of shapes, including this unique form of a human skull.
Libertíny often draws inspiration from art and architectural history, and this work is based on the Biblical story of Herod’s daughter Salome, who requests the head of the imprisoned John the Baptist. Throughout the centuries, many artists have depicted this famous story, often showing Salome holding a tray with John the Baptist’s severed head. On this tray however, Libertíny offers up a honeycomb skull sculpted by bees, so realistic that the head seems ready to turn and come to life.
Skulls usually symbolise death and are often accompanied by the Latin phrase ‘Memento mori’ (Remember to die), but Libertíny deliberately calls this piece Memento Vivere (Remember to live). This makes us aware of our mortality and reminds us that life is finite, but it also encourages us to reflect on living, and to enjoy life more consciously. This collaboration with bees is one example that highlights the beauty of the natural world, which the artist himself finds immense joy in.
Tomáš Libertíny (1979)
Memento Vivere / Here You Are, 2023
Metal, beeswax
Stedelijk Museum Schiedam
This acquisition was made possible with the support of the Mondriaan Fund.
Image: Tomáš Libertíny (1979), Memento Vivere / Here You Are, 2023, photo Studio Libertíny