

A new living sculpture just went up in the Bristol Central Library called Book Hive that will ultimately consist of 400 “moving” books, one for each year of the library's history. To celebrate the library's 400th anniversary, Bristol's creative robotics collective Rusty Squid, with an award of 90,000 from Arts Council England, designed this interactive installation that blends old books with new technology. The swarm of animated books responds to the movements of the library's visitors, opening and closing in breathtaking patterns. The books are displayed in hexagonal cells, hence the name, Book Hive.

Arts Council England south west director Phil Gibby said: “This is an imaginative and inventive installation that brings together past, present and future in a way that is both thought-provoking and marvelous fun.

“We believe that everyone, particularly children and young people, should have the opportunity to experience the richness of the arts, museums and libraries, and by supporting excellent projects like Book Hive, we can bring together the right partners to commission and create something amazing.”

Book Hive will be displayed at Bristol's Central Library until March 7, 2014. Love art installations that creatively incorporate books like this.









Arts Council website

Photos via [Bristol Culture, Bristol City Council]