This amazing teapot design reminds us at SURFACES REPORTER (SR) Albert Einstein's famous quote: "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man." Honey bees are the world's most vital pollinator of food crops, meaning without bees we cannot assume our favourite foods. To raise awareness about the fate of disappearing honeybees, Slovakian artist Tomáš Gabzdil Libertíny of Studio Libertiny has designed "Thousand Years" -a honeycomb teapot. And you will be surprised to know that an army of bees collaborated with him to complete the design. Read here how the designer envisioned and realized the design:
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The design work has been commissioned by the French fine silver manufacturer Christofle while the beekeeper Johan Beckers and his group of 60,000 bees helped to design the teapot-shaped vessel. Earlier, designer Tomáš Gabzdil Libertíny has also experimented with beeswax. And this exceptional work of art is a continuation of his interest in harnessing the 'power of nature and its epic force that drives forward slowly but steadily.'
The name of the project 'Thousand Years' reflects the fabulous material- beeswax- properties that can last thousands of years.
Design of Teapot Shape
The designer used a metal scaffold to create the framework for the beehive before they took over to fill in the gaps of the structure with beeswax. It has been given the shape of a teapot.
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However, the project took two takes to complete: The first attempt did not succeed due to several factors like the local weather conditions and locations. Then, the project is moved to a less windy area near Rotterdam. The perfect realization of the project also states the good bee colony's health and strength. Also, no bees were displaced or exploited for the project.
The artist had also created The Agreement, a 1.6-meter-tall sculpture with the help of beeswax.
This organic living structure is considered as world's first of its kind for using bee architecture in large-scale fabrication. The project perfectly signifies the desired balance between natural and human-made worlds.
The desinger has recently designed an epic creation- Eternity (a.k.a. Nefertity) in collaboration with 60,000 honeybees.
The artist invited the bees to build their beeswax honeycombs around the skeleton of the Bust of Nefertiti. The sculpture is based on the 3D model of the original portrait of the Egyptian queen.
Info and image courtesy: www.tomaslibertiny.com
Product Name: Thousand Years
Year: 2014
Materials: beeswax, metal
Dimensions: 390 x 700 x 535 mm ( w x d x h )
Collection: Christofle, Paris
Photo: René van der Hulst
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