Buzzbench, a sculptural bee- biotope that doubles as a bench. We tend to keep our distance from bees because we are afraid to get stung. But actually, the chances you get attacked by solitairy bees are nil.
Unlike honeybees, they have no breedingnest or honey to defend. When they are being interupted, they just fly away. They are even better pollinators than honeybees and if we dare to take a closer look, they’re amazingly beautiful!
The Buzzbench is a habitat for wild bees and at the same time it is a monumental bench that offers humans an educational opportunity or a quiet retreat. The bench is based on geometrical shapes of flowerpetals; the layers are digitally cut and each rotated progressively in 10 degree increments.
Once seated, attention is drawn to the changing patterns of light come through the overlapping layers. Local bamboo and cane I harvested in gardens and allotments, which are sandwiched between extreme durable boards. The stems offer insects individual tunnels to make sealed cells filled with an egg and a foodpacket.
The egg becomes a larva, then a bee that eats the food, opens the door and flies away. Plenty of flowers to fourage for nectar and pollen in the Amstelpark, a magical place with a huge variety of buildings, plants and creative gardening layouts, due to the fact that it was originally built for the Floriade in 1972.
With the Buzzbench I’d like to create a new public space that will bring our sensory perception to a higher level. The visitor can enjoy colours and smells and look at the view in a new framework.
The shell shape of the bench will change and intensify the humming sounds of bees and hoverflies. The bench embraces and shelters those inside and wraps the visitor into an atmosphere of quiet concentration. Engraved names on the bench are of crowdfunders. Source by AnneMarie van Splunter.
Location: Dahliarama, Amstelpark, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Artist: AnneMarie van Splunter
Duration: 10 years, maintenance by artist i.c.w.bee-expert
Financing: Amsterdams Fund for the Arts+crowdfunding, Municipality Amsterdam Zuid, Prins Bernard Cultuurfonds, crowdfunding
Dimensions: Height 155 cm. x width 360 cm
Materials: Medite Tricoya Extreme, local cane and bamboo, Tung-oil
Execution | artist: www.annemarievansplunter.nl
i.c.w. building atelier: www.fictionfactory.nl
Year: 2015
Photographs: Courtesy of AnneMarie van Splunter
Images: Peter Schuitemaker , JOEL, Courtesy of AnneMarie van Splunter
