After the Expo: "The Hive" finds new home in Kew Gardens

"The Hive", the much-acclaimed and award-winning installation designed by British artist Wolfgang Buttress as the centrepiece of Britain's Expo pavilion, opened to visitors in Kew Gardens, London, last weekend. This time it is located in a habitat more suited to its theme – a wildflower meadow created in collaboration with BDP landscape architects.   In reflection of the Expo motto of "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life", The Hive was designed to underscore the crucial role that bees play in the food chain and thus draw attention to the worldwide problem of honeybee deaths.   The giant beehive made of 42 tonnes of aluminium is some 17 metres high and is twisted in on itself to create the impression of a swarm, an effect further underscored by the fact that it seems to hover above the ground. Inside the installation, a thousand LED lights and vibration sensors controlled by the activity of honeybees in a Kew Gardens hive create a visual experience accompanied by a soundtrack of buzzing bees and music.  After thrilling 3.3 million visitors at the Expo, the multisensory installation is sure to attract many more in London.