Beedabei ‘Set sail – Bremerhaven’

We were already partners of Beedabei for World Peace Day 2022, World Bee Day 2023, and in Aksum in 2024. On August 17, 2025, for SAiL 2025 in Bremerhaven, the natural artwork “Beedabei – Setting Sail” was created: a bright yellow sailboat made of 246 bee-friendly balcony planters!

The artists Peter Kalb and Gisela Bartulec create artworks from yellow flower boxes. The art also acts as a “carrier”—the flower boxes are yellow because bees can recognize this color and thus identify them as feeding grounds.
In this way, they help to preserve biodiversity.

And what does the Sail in Bremerhaven have to do with Hawelti e.V.?

Our chairman of Hawelti e.V., Marcel, has his roots in Bremerhaven – a city with a rich maritime tradition.

Our vice-chairwoman, Negassty, has her roots in the northern Ethiopian city of Aksum – known for its beekeeping and honey culture.

This led to the idea of ​​combining the two in 2023. The artists were immediately enthusiastic at their first meeting. After only a very short time, it was clear that they wanted to realize this art project. It was to be a sailing ship – measuring 25 x 30 meters.

With this idea and a sketch, discussions followed with the city of Bremerhaven and the organizers of Sail Bremerhaven. They, too, were immediately enthusiastic about the idea.

A large artwork can also cost a lot of money. From the beginning, it was important to us that we become partners, but that we wouldn’t incur any costs.

Many discussions and preparations later, the day finally arrived on August 17, 2025:

The planters were in Bremerhaven, they were planted, and the artwork could begin to take shape.

While there had been so much uncertainty and uncertainty beforehand, the installation went wonderfully. Within three hours, all the flower boxes were arranged like a sailboat between a ship and the Zoo am Meer (Zoo by the Sea). After an hour and a half, the sailboat dissolved into the surrounding landscape, hopefully providing food for countless bees everywhere!

It was a truly magnificent experience, and we are so happy to have been a part of this artwork!

We say THANK YOU!

• THANK YOU to Peter Kalb and Gisela Bartulec for embracing this idea and implementing it so beautifully. In addition, they collected donations for our “Selam” project and also donated 10 copies of their limited and hand-signed photo edition, the proceeds of which also go entirely to the women of “Selam.”
• THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who supported us so intensively before, during, and after the artwork. THANK YOU to all the sponsors and donors who made this artwork possible.
• THANK YOU to everyone who took a “bee feeder” home with them, AND THANK YOU to everyone who also made a donation.

It was a wonderful experience for us that will stay with us forever!
There’s a video of this event, which you can find on our YouTube channel.
And for those who would not only like to support us but are also interested in a limited, hand-signed photo edition, you can find it in our shop.
Get a memento of a fleeting moment.