Miss Bugs
"Do Not Harm" Lolly (Orange Syringe), 2019
Handmade Resin Ice Lolly with Encapsulated Syringe on a Jesmonite Marble Plinth, presented in Pharmaceutical Packaging
Edition of 900
2 1/5 × 4 7/10 in     
5.5 × 12 cm
 
The enigmatic UK collective known as Miss Bugs unveiled their Do No Harm installation featuring 900 pharmaceutical-grade resin ice lollies (Popsicles) at Jealous Gallery in London in 2019. With the hand-made popsicles, Miss Bugs carry their signature technique of resin embedded objects from their elaborate mosaic-style 2D portraits to easily-consumed, limited-edition objects.
 
Introduced at their Echo Chamber exhibition November 2018, the seductively visceral popsicles feature candy-colored, translucent resin embedded with jarring fillings: pills, 'used' hypodermic needles, and surgical razor blades. The eye-catching pieces are intended as riffs on the addictive and harmful nature of social networks. 
The new popsicle editions feature the installation's title, Do No Harm, emblazoned on the 'stick' (jesmonite marble plinth). Taken from the Hippocratic Oath sworn to by physicians, the ironic title hints at the potential wounds that social medical can inflict. Beneath the sweet, tasty exterior of beautiful imagery and mesmerizing videos lies the dangers of toxic social interaction with precious little real-world accountability including the viral spread of false information, and abusive, troll-like behavior.