Artwork made of beeswax and honeycomb
The Nefertiti bust honors one of Ancient Egypt’s most well-known rulers, who reigned alongside Akhenaten during a turbulent period of religious turmoil. The Dutch artist Tomá Libertny spent the next two years creating a “new queen” after being impressed by the massive sculpture’s enduring impact. Before incorporating the help of 60,000 bees, which gave the sculpture life, he first built a 3D model of the antique bust.
Libertny reveals to My Contemporary Met that the two-year procedure was divided into two halves. The sculpture was first presented as a live exhibit at Kunsthal in Rotterdam in the summer of 2019 so that guests could see the bees creating the piece in the gallery. The artwork gradually took shape throughout this period as the bee swarm filled the blank frame with honeycomb and beeswax. The bust was finished in the open air in Slovakia the next year and displayed as part of Libertny’s solo exhibition Melancholia at Rademakers Museum in Amsterdam.
Libertiny adds, “Organic wax is one of the most resilient organic fibers. If stored in a favorable atmosphere, this statue will potentially last centuries. I am ecstatic about this dichotomy or paradox between frail and resilient. Similar to individuals, often the most vulnerable souls are the strongest of all. I believe that is a really potent statement, especially when coming from one of the most famous ladies in history.
The Rademakers Museum will host Eternity through January 30, 2020. More pictures of this amazing statue can be found below. You can also keep up with Libertny’s work and shows by following him on Insta.
60,000 bees helped the sculptor Tomá Libertny reconstruct the historic statue of Nefertiti out of wax and honey.
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