What is it like to live inside a beehive? The Hive, a sculpture by British artist Wolfgang Buttress, invites people to find out. The structure, which first opened in Italy, stands 17 meters (56 feet) tall. It’s built from 170,000 aluminum pieces arranged in a honeycomb pattern.
Inside the structure, lights and music mimic the rhythms of a beehive. The Hive is connected to an accelerometer—a sensor that detects vibrations—installed in a real beehive nearby. When the 40,000 bees in the real hive buzz around, the lights in the sculpture flicker and the music hums louder. Buttress hopes his work will help visitors appreciate the importance of bees.