Buzzing Activity Around an Extraordinary Statue: Witness the Bustling Bee’s Nest

In the realm of art, there are creations that inspire awe, those that fail to impress, and then there are those that leave us utterly perplexed. The recently unveiled Princess Diana bronze statue by Ian Rank-Broadley, currently gracing the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, falls into the latter category. Its resemblance to other infamous sculptures, like the unsettling Ronaldo bust by Emanuel Santos displayed at Madeira airport or the unflattering George Best statue by Tony Currie outside Windsor Park in Belfast, is undeniable. Diana’s sculpture, unfortunately, fails to capture the essence of the iconic princess, her elegance, and her beauty.

Frozen in a material yet cold gesture, Diana appears formal and unstylish, a far cry from the warm, kind-hearted spirit she was known to be. One cannot help but wonder, could her kindness, strength, and humanitarian spirit have been better represented had she been portrayed in action, perhaps walking across an active minefield in her iconic khaki jacket—a metaphorical minefield that she navigated throughout her life with the royal family?

We may never know the answer to this question. However, the statue raises a broader issue: the dilemma of contemporary sculptures lacking the pathos, sensuality, and beauty of classical art. Is there a solution to transform these stark modern statues into something more meaningful for future generations? Perhaps there is, and we could draw inspiration from the works of Pierre Huyghe.

Internationally renowned artist Pierre Huyghe, originally from Paris but now based in New York, is celebrated for bridging the gap between biological and technological worlds and creating immersive environments in constant flux.

In 2017, Huyghe created a sculpture titled “Exomind” (deep water), an evolution of another statue conceived for the 2012 Documenta 13 in Kassel, based on a reclining female nude by Max Weber. “Exomind” features a crouching woman with her head covered by a beehive housing a live colony of busy bees. This sculpture was installed in a permanent garden environment that Huyghe designed at the Dazaifu Temangu shrine on the Japanese Island of Fukuoka. It has also been replicated for various exhibitions and events.

The sculpture’s head, teeming with buzzing bees, adds an eerie quality to its human body, transforming it into an enigmatic creature. Behind this peculiar artwork lie profound metaphors: it serves as a reminder of the importance of bees in preserving our planet and represents a complex system. The growing and uncultivated beehive constantly changes, becoming a living, breathing mask that pollinates the surroundings and mutates the area around it. The bees, through their pollination, point to the intricate neural networks in the biological brain linked with natural forms and processes, emphasizing the need to understand such networks. Moreover, the bees produce wax and honey, symbolizing the vitality of ideas that can materialize into tangible creations.

While covering disliked modern statues with beehives might seem drastic and surreal, it could serve as a powerful reminder of the significance of bees in the cycle of life. In the case of Princess Diana, it would be a poignant tribute—a strong and determined queen bee finally remembered for her unwavering spirit. This transformation could not only entertain but also educate, emphasizing the critical role bees play in our ecosystem, encouraging us to appreciate the delicate balance of nature, and inspiring future generations to protect and preserve our planet.