PolliNation: Artists Crossing Borders with Scientists to Explore the Value of Pollinator Health was a group exhibition developed by University of Wales Trinity Saint David, bringing together artists and scientists from Wales and Cornell University to explore the ecological importance and increasing vulnerability of pollinating insects. Presented at the Mann Library, the exhibition formed part of a wider international research initiative supported by Wales Arts International.
Positioned within a working research environment rather than a conventional gallery setting, the exhibition combined scientific data and contemporary art to consider the interconnected relationships between pollinators, agriculture, climate, and human activity. Townsend exhibited Fragaria vesca (Wild strawberry), a wax botanical sculpture produced using beeswax supplied by entomologist Scott McArt from honey bee colonies used in commercial pollination.
The exhibition marked the beginning of an ongoing collaborative relationship with Cornell University, leading to the later development of works including Treasure and Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Fragaria vesca, Wild strawberry, packed for travel.