Dutch designer Matilde Boelhouwer skillfully addresses urban sustainability issues by creating artificial flowers that are designed for saving the bees within the parameters of the metropolitan city. Appropriately dubbed 'Food for Buzz,' the creative's artificial flowers have the ability to turn rain into sugar. The initative boasts five kinds of flowers that attract "the big five of pollination — bees, bumblebees, hoverflies, butterflies, and moths."
Matilde Boelhouwer's colorful creations are made with screen-printed polyester. Each flower is a cluster of laser-cut petals and a small 3D-printed container that collects the water. The water is transported down the stem to another tank, filled with sugar. The two mix and afterward, the water is pumped back to the original collector where it does its part for saving the bees.
Bee-Sustaining Artificial Flowers
Matilde Boelhouwer's Emergency Flowers are Saving the Bees
Trend Themes
1. Urban Sustainability - Creating artificial flowers designed to save bees in urban environments addresses sustainability issues.
2. Pollinator Conservation - Designing artificial flowers that attract bees, bumblebees, hoverflies, butterflies, and moths contributes to pollinator conservation efforts.
3. Innovative Materials - Utilizing screen-printed polyester and 3D-printed containers to create artificial flowers demonstrates the potential for innovative materials in sustainable design.
Industry Implications
1. Environmental Conservation - The creation of artificial flowers for saving bees aligns with the environmental conservation industry, offering new possibilities for protecting pollinators.
2. Sustainable Design - The use of innovative materials and technologies in creating artificial flowers presents opportunities for the sustainable design industry to develop new solutions for urban environments.
3. Textile and Printing - The incorporation of screen-printed polyester showcases opportunities for the textile and printing industry to explore sustainable and eco-friendly materials in their production processes.