None of Your Sting, None of Your Honey, 1994
In 1994, for the first time I asked a company, Yarden Honey , from the Upper Galilee to allow me to introduce a new text in their label. Comprising four kibbutzim represented by the 4 bees on their logo, one of them being the kibbutz ‘Ayelet Hashahar’ which gave me the beehives for my installation under the army tent. Quoting from Deuteronomy* I created a link between the present marketing of honey and the mythical ‘land of olive oil and honey.’ The label of the company had a pastoral feeling and reminded me of Swiss landscape, the Galilee being often called “Little Switzerland.” But from time to time katiushas would fall disturbing the quiet and pastoral landscape, so I choose to call the work: None of Your Sting, None of your Honey (actually it should have been None of your Honey, None of your Sting) which basically means: I have no desire for what you are suggesting to me, neither the good, nor the bad. I added as well the logo of the contemporary art event, Tel Hai 94 where the work would be exhibited and signed and numbered 1000 honey jars which were sold next to coca cola bottles and other beverages offered to the public. Later after the show, most of the honey jars went back to the supermarket shelves, and I kept a few dozen. They were exhibited later in various exhibitions together with the earth, water and air from the holy land. I did wonder if people buying this honey had notice that they had a special edition of honey. At some point honey from this company could not be found on the shelves, but I still have a few in my studio.
*Translation from Deuteronomy 8, 7-8:
“For the Lord thy God bright thee into a good land; a land of brooks of water, of fountains, and depths that spring out of valleys and hills:
A land of wheat, and barley, and wines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey:”