The FoodE partner Urban Beekeeper Association of Slovenia (Društvo Urbani čebelar) raises awareness of the importance of urban beekeeping and promotes greener and healthier urban environment while allowing citizens to be in touch with bees. By collaborating with prisons in Ljubljana, the association involves inmates in the beekeeping process.
As part of the project, Slovenian Urban Beekeeper Association is working together with the Faculty of Design and the Open Ward Igo Prison to build beehives and establish bee colonies around the prison. Prisoners who participate in the beekeeping program will learn a new skill that will aid in their rehabilitation.
In this context, the Association organised a project from 30 May until 5 July 2022. As part of the event, the 3rd year students of Interior Design, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Jasna Hrovatin and in the co-mentorship of Gorazd Trušnovec, prepared proposals for a meaningful and original arrangement of the beehives in the garden.
The group of the 2nd year students of the Visual Communication course, under the mentorship of Nataša Šušteršič Plotajs developed graphic motifs for the mural based on research into ethnological traditions, stylisations of Helena Vurnik’s motifs, with contemporary artistic interpretations and thematic colour scales. It is a concept of simple graphic motifs, with illustrative elements, which also carry a message.
An important element of the implementation stage of the design is the graphic templates for the stencils, which were used by the prisoners to hand-paint the beehives.
