Artists Collaborate with Bees to Create Honeycomb Sculptures

An increasing number of modern artists are partnering with honeybees to create sculptures that merge human creativity with the efforts of insects. This technique entails providing bees with cavities or frameworks to fill with comb, leading to pieces that are both artistic and ecological experiments. Notable figures in this movement include Anna Hulačová, who carves spaces into sculptures for bees; Garnett Puett, a fourth-generation beekeeper from Hahira, Georgia, now in Kona, Hawaii, who makes 'apisculptures' by applying wax to armatures; Ren Yue (Ren Ri), a Beijing artist who uses queen bees in geometric structures and alters gravity weekly with dice; Hilary Berseth, known for her Programmed Hive series; Tomáš Libertíny, whose Studio Libertíny in Rotterdam focuses on 'slow prototyping' and showcased Architecture by Bees at the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale; and Aganetha Dyck, a Canadian artist who integrated domestic items into hives from the late 1980s until her passing in 2025 at age 87. The article highlights a 'softer model of making' that embraces patience, collaborative effort, and the acceptance of another species’ influence on the final product. Ethical issues surrounding the treatment and protection of bees are also discussed, positioning these works as a contrast to the rapid pace and control often found in design, advocating for a humble approach within a living ecosystem.