Mayflies: Swarm & Renew
This is a project of two phases: Swarm and Renew.
Swarm was an installation of 10,000 hand-cut paper mayflies, exhibited in a derelict nuclear bunker. They were attached to the walls at the base of the tunnel as if they had gathered there.
Renew will be a community project to recycle all of the paper used in Swarm into new art work which will be exhibited. You can find out more about Renew Here.
Mayflies: Swarm
Katarina Prior
10,000 Hand-cut paper mayflies
Mayflies are flying insects known for their remarkably short adult lives - sometimes lasting just a week, a day, or even a few hours. Because of this, they’ve become symbols of the fleeting nature of time and reminders to cherish each moment.
Each mayfly in this installation has been hand-cut, two at a time, from a single sheet of A4 paper. While most were made by the artist, Katarina Prior, she also worked with members of the local community, sharing the calming, mindful process of creating them.
“The folding, drawing, and cutting is repetitive, but deeply mindful and relaxing. It’s been rewarding to share the process with others - I’m so grateful to everyone who helped.”
- Katarina Prior
Mayflies: Swarm invites you to reflect on how we spend our time, how we feel about it, and what it really means to "cherish" it.
To cherish something is to hold it in your mind and heart because it matters to you and brings you joy.
But what does that look like in everyday life?
How can we make sure we truly cherish our time?
When this exhibition ends, all the paper used - including the mayflies themselves - will be passed on to community groups to be transformed into new artworks using traditional and modern papermaking techniques.
Alison, exhibition visitor
“Incredible transformation of the space. Transports you to a very reflective and mediative space.”
Anon, exhibition visitor
“Absolutely phenomenal, what a beautiful sentiment and artwork in such an atmospheric space - I’ve never seen anything like it - you should be really proud!”
Anon, exhibition visitor
“A wonderful reminder of how connected we all are, thank you for allowing us in to this space to take time to feel gratitude towards all we cherish.”
Anon, exhibition visitor
“Love this, could sit on the floor and stare up at the ceiling for hours...”
Anon, exhibition visitor
“Creating a safe space, comforting, within a fairly hostile place”
Due to the many health and safety concerns in the bunker, people could only visit the exhibition during tours with me.
This made it a personal and wonderful experience. I got to meet everyone who saw the exhibition, I could answer their questions and I got to hear peoples thoughts and stories.
The exhibition was only open for 20 hours, it was seen by just over 500 people.
