The Beehive

The Beehive is the project submitted for the Urban Connections competition, promoted by the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome. The project, covering an area of 100 square metres, is inspired by the extraordinary organisation of bee societies, a natural paradigm of collaboration, interdependence and collective intelligence. The work consists of 300 hexagonal terracotta cells, each with a diameter of 40 cm, arranged at regular intervals and organised according to a principle of circularity that evokes the idea of an autonomous and self-sufficient system, a metaphor for the harmonious movement of the community and social bonds. Some of these cells, like a real beehive, are closed and sealed, forming the visual core of the installation: small treasure chests that hold the members of the city of the future, cared for by the individuals of today, the true protagonists of the work, represented by a series of bees in Corten steel. The metal figures, measuring 60 cm³, represent the true driving force of the community and, like invisible cogs in urban society, support and keep the community fabric alive through dedication, interconnection and the transmission of collective knowledge.