her practice focuses on the breakdown of pre-structured settings and the search for metamorphosis in nature as a metaphor of human social patterns, all managed in terms of (misleading) semiotic relations.

in 2013 a six months coexistence with a colony of swarming bees in the then dining room of her house leads medina to the study of similarities between men’s and honeybees’ social learning; and hence to explore mechanisms of colonization in different realms, transcoding scientific essays in a multifaceted art practice. it follows an ever growing interest in calcified beeswax that is parasitized by galleria mellonella moths: a special kind of bone tissue-like matter got from dismantled beehives, since it’s considered unproductive for human activity, due to parasite infestation. thus the great wax moths ciclically may colonize the cells on artworks, building a new scenario. 

all the works set up a dialogue between the processes of nature and man-made features, mostly focused on stainless steel and ral colour system, as well as iconographies and further materials employed relate to (tamed/urban) habitat, within a kind of tradeoff in relation to one another.

parasited beeswax is processed in the manner of renaissance and fresco painting techniques as employed by perugino and piero della francesca, otherwise waterproofed and stabilized as if sculptures are made by manmade building material. in both cases after being shaped by bees and larvae in different stages (they can in fact co-habitate if bees’ family stays well).

medina achieves first skills and expertices in metal working at beverly pepper’s studio in todi during two art residencies sponsored by the fondazione progetti beverly pepper. coming in touch with the american artist, she grows close to the postminimalism.

_living with bees: take a look