Flying into West Village from Saturday June 27 until Sunday July 19, The Hive Mind pays tribute to the sweet honey-makers and nature’s primary pollinators otherwise known as bees. Originally planned to coincide with World Bee Day celebrations (but postponed due to COVID restrictions), The Hive Mind was created to showcase the species’ vital role in preserving our urban ecosystem. Set to take over The Common, the eye-catching display will feature a large kinetic bee sculpture, that uses the wind as its puppeteer, making it appear as if the biomimetic bee is really flying. Joining this high-flying sculpture will be an array of bee and butterfly creations that will be scattered amongst West Village’s garden-come-insect-sanctuary.

This unique display has been carefully crafted by Dead Puppet Society, a production and design company well known for its puppet-based visual theatrics. Founded by David Morton and Nicholas Paine in 2009, the Brisbane-based studio’s work connects an old-world aesthetic with cutting-edge technological design. The company’s creative craftsmanship is best showcased with its moving (both literally and figuratively) sculptural works, which is perfectly encapsulated in its newest design, The Hive Mind. The artistic team at Dead Puppet Society has been eagerly waiting to unveil this installation since before lockdown measures were put in place earlier this year and hope the artwork will give credit to the poster child of sustainability and the environment – the humble bee.

Keen to see this attention-grabbing piece take flight? Head here to have a behind-the-scenes look at the installation, then make tracks to West Village from Saturday June 27.

This article was created in partnership with our friends at West Village. To find out more about what’s on, head to West Village’s website.