Melanie Loureiro
Kinship Etched in Petal Dust; Oil on canvas, 2025, 200 × 260 cm, courtesy the artist

What the artist says:
In art history, monumental formats were often reserved for historical events that addressed power and conflict. This work celebrates the big things in the small things: collective intelligence, silent cooperation, the beauty of community. The work invites viewers to put themselves in the perspective of an insect, to view the world from close to the ground and to sense the hidden connections that weave through our existence.

She talks about the value of connections and the collective. Two bumblebees, heavy from gathering pollen, land on a dahlia, a fleeting moment frozen in monumental silence. Bumblebees pick up a positive electrical charge when flying due to air friction, while flowers are negatively charged due to their grounding. This electrical interaction enables bumblebees to recognise flowers that have already been pollinated from a distance, as their electrical fields change after a visit.