An original, new exhibition, which invites visitors “backstage” to discover the beautiful, delicate interwoven relationship between plants and animals and reveal the complex ways plants attract animals. The exhibition integrates items from the Museum’s National Natural History Collections, interactive displays, Israeli art, and scientific research stories.

The exhibition focuses on one of the most impressive and essential processes in nature – the process of pollination: a complex biological process that has existed for millions of years and is an integral part of the system of mutual interactions taking place between flowers and their environment (wind, water, and animals).

Beyond the beauty of the process, pollination plays a crucial role in natural ecosystems as well as in our daily lives, since more than one-third of the food we eat depends on pollinators. Therefore, the exhibition also focuses on the global pollination crisis, expressed through a decrease in plant and pollinator populations, and on the ways in which all of us can contribute to preserving this natural process.

The integration of science and art in the exhibition emphasizes the complexity, beauty, and essential role of pollination. The exhibition space includes videos and photographs, which provide visitors with a fascinating and enriching experience, and artworks by Israeli artists: Nurit Gur Lavy (Karni), Merav Cohen and Dafna Kaffeman. Botanical illustrations by the painter, Bracha Avigad z”l, will also be on display.

The exhibition also displays developments in agricultural research and application, such as the authentic, living bumblebee hive by the Israeli company AgroBee, which allows visitors to experience the world of bees up close, and the “bug hotel”, an ecological device that provides a refuge and nesting space for a range of pollinators.

The exhibition is an opportunity to expose the general public to scientific research conducted in Israel: from researching the history of beneficial plants and ancient landscapes via pollen grains, through interpreting the unique reward provided by plants to pollinators and the surprising means of communication between them, to the important role of wild pollinators in supporting agricultural systems.

Curator: Michal Krasny, Scientific curator: Dr. Zohar Yanai