Bees are gastronomes, gardeners, pollinators, dancers, soldiers, architects, cleaners, craftsmen and more but are they also lamp makers?

Bee’otopia is a radical art & design research project, developed as a part of the exhibition “Space Crazy” at The Utzon Center in Aalborg. During the summer 2019 we have explored the mind-blowing creative power of nature´s own master builders, when we engage in design dialogues to build lampshades, enjoy the taste of honey and harvest pollinated fruits and flowers.

The project investigates a natural design and production utopia, where design and production happen in a symbiotic relation between designer and bees, when we ‘3-D print unique beewax lampshades. The project challenges our contemporary globalized consumption paradigm, where resources are mined, treated and shipped worldwide to support an unsustainable lifestyle. Can we imagine consumption that would support the life in nature, rather than destroying it?

What if we can grow our design locally in a fruitful symbiosis with nature? Then – what would our factories look like? What would the waste be? And – can we reduce polluting transportation? These are ongoing conversations with children in the exhibition and around the hive placed in the flowery garden at the Utzon Center or at the various workshops during the exhibition time. We dream about a world where design is built in nature together with nature.

The output of the exhibition has been a larger awareness of how things are made and where things come from. Further, has The Utzon Center planted beautiful insect friendly flowers in their garden, which inspired Aalborg Municipality to speed up their focus on biodiversity in parks.

The exhibition also showcase experimental artwork from Reiulf Ramsted Architects, Cobe, Adept, Yoke, JAJA Architects.

Thanks to inspiring and creative beekeeper Ivan Nielsen from Himmerlandsk Bier and Aalborg Biavlerforening, for helping us understand the life and nature of the bees.