In an exploration of the connection between humans an nature, artist Ren Ri uses beeswax as his medium and the bee colony as the builder. Yeah.
Because a colony will follow the queen bee and build a hive based on the pheromones that she releases, Ri is able to move the queen such that the others in the colony act accordingly.
The three-part series is called Yuansu, which translates to “a comprehension of the gestalt of life”. One part is a collection of abstract sculptures, and another is a performance with the bees themselves. But the first part, which Ri and the bees created back in 2008, is a series of geographic maps.
Here’s the United States:
The Korea peninsula:
Australia:
See the beeswax maps for other countries and the other parts of Yuansu in the exhibition catalog. [via Map of the Week]
