The HIVE: a co-created art installation about health

Abstract

We consider how artists explore complex health issues in a large-scale, collaborative art installation. This article describes - The HIVE - an arts-based knowledge translation (ABKT) initiative through which artists collaborated with researchers, service providers, health consumers, and carers affiliated with a major translational health research centre in Australia. We present a case study that draws on artist statements and visual documentation to evoke the different facets of the initiative. The eight projects encompassed by The HIVE were diverse. Artistic media included textiles, sculpture, poetry and photography. Health issues ranged from palliative care to child healthcare. The HIVE was not simply an installation but a nucleus that fostered collaboration through the design and development of creative artworks. In emphasising empathy and non-verbal communication, The HIVE at once translated and expanded health(care) research and practice.