Interstate 80 is a video and sound sculpture made of stacked bee boxes. Invented nearly 200 years ago, the Langstroth bee box was a technological breakthrough — modular, expandable, offering easy access for the beekeeper.

Today, stacked and secured on a semi-truck, Langstroth bee boxes transport the 81 billion bees that are trucked to California in time for almond pollination — a massive, coordinated effort undertaken every year.

In this installation, a stack of bee boxes is covered in black mesh and secured to a shipping palette with ratchet straps. A video loop of night driving from the POV of a trucker is projected onto one corner.

Inside the boxes, speakers emit the low drone of an 18-wheeler driving at night. The sounds are amplified by the boxes themselves, creating a potentially immersive experience. Periodically, the comforting driving sound is interrupted by the abrupt rumbling of a diesel engine starting up, which grabs our attention anew.

The work is a multi-sensory experience highlighting the important role that bees play in our agricultural system and the greater challenges created by monoculture.

Interstate 80 is part of my Uncanny Interventions series exploring artificial pollination.