3D Carniolan Bee – A Giant Honeybee

To commemorate World Bee Day and the eleventh anniversary of urban beekeeping on the roof of Cankarjev dom the “3D kranjica”, a scale model of the worker bee Apis mellifera carnica, the Slovenian indigenous Carniolan bee, is on view in the Grand Reception Hall in cooperation with the Beekeeping Association of Slovenia.

The model is 3D-printed and has more than 90% morphological similarity to a real worker bee. The model is based on a real-life Carniolan honeybee, accurately imaged down to the micron using a Micro CT scanner. The model is made in the ratio 1 : 100 and measures 170 cm in length. The model combines moving parts of a bee's body and nine animations in Slovenian and English.
The scale model of Carniolan honeybee was created to celebrate Slovenia's EU Council Presidency and was also a hit with the visitors to the Slovenian pavilion at the Expo in Dubai, where it was seen by almost a million people. From the Dubai exhibition, the giant model has travelled to Cankarjev dom, where it will be on display in the Grand Reception Hall until 20 April. This is its first presentation in Slovenia.
The project is Slovenian in its entirety: 3D Carniolan Bee is a product of Slovenian knowledge. The Beekeeping Association of Slovenia (ČZS) realised it in cooperation with the Slovenian company Intri d.o.o. and designer Nina Oman. Boštjan Noč, President of the Beekeeping Association of Slovenia (ČZS), initiated the project and contributed its conceptual design, and its project manager was Marko Borko (ČZS). Expert reviewers of animations: Andreja Kandolf Borovšak, PhD, Peter Kozmus, PhD, Nataša Lilek, PhD, and Tomaž Malec.

The 3D Carniola Bee project has been funded with support from the Public Advisory Service in Beekeeping.

Bees are the pollinators of most plants and an important part of the natural balance and existence of life on Earth. They have been coexisting with culture on the roof of Cankarjev dom for eleven years, making CD one of the first urban beekeepers in Slovenia. Cankarjev dom's honey is of high quality and is certified as Slovenian honey with a protected geographical indication.
Cankarjev dom is a member of Ljubljana’s Bee Path, a project launched in 2015 by the Municipality of Ljubljana.   
More about urban beekeeping at Cankarjev dom >>