API-LOGO: the monumental beehive at the Botanical Garden

API-LOGO, a site-specific sculpture by Cyril de Commarque, has been installed at the Botanical Garden in Rome as an artificial habitat for wild bees and other pollinators. The work is placed in a clearing among trees, creating a conversation between art, nature and scientific research.

The installation resembles a large hollow beehive suspended from the trees. The exterior is made of wood worked with robotic tools and then charred to achieve a dark surface that contrasts with the yellow interior filled with bamboo tubes acting as refuges for solitary bees. The project also includes traditional ground hives and observation points for study and educational activities.

Why the work matters

API-LOGO highlights the crucial role pollinators play in ecosystem conservation and food security. Initiatives like this connect artistic practice with scientific inquiry to promote urban biodiversity and protect pollinating insects.

Practical information

• Where: Botanical Garden of Rome, Trastevere (towards the Janiculum). Address: Largo Cristina di Svezia, 23 A, 00165 Rome.
• When: installation present for World Bee Day, 20 May 2026.
• Artist: Cyril de Commarque.
• Project partners: Sapienza University of Rome and FAO.
• Visitor tips: respect green areas, keep a safe distance from the hives and follow Botanical Garden instructions for guided tours or educational activities.

About the artist

Cyril de Commarque is a French artist based in Rome. His interdisciplinary practice spans nature, performance and photography, often using organic materials and site-specific interventions to investigate human-environment relationships.

For updates on visiting hours, guided tours or scientific activities related to the installation, check the official channels of the Botanical Garden of Rome.