Ruches, 2400 A.E.C. - 1852 E.C. / Hives, 2400 B.C.E. - 1852 C.E. ─ Aladin Borioli (APIAN)

A visual archive by APIAN, the DIY humanities research project led by artist Aladin Borioli, tracing the structural diversity of beehives before their modern standardisation.

Ruches, 2400 A.E.C. – 1852 E.C. / Hives, 2400 B.C.E. – 1852 C.E. is a visual archive by APIAN, the DIY humanities research project founded by artist Aladin Borioli. Since the development of the modern beehive in 1852, its structure has remained largely unchanged. While the standardised box-shaped hive brought stability to beekeeping, it also marked a departure from the structural diversity that had been cultivated over roughly 4,400 years. This book forms a compact archive of beekeeping history before that process of homogenisation, tracing it back as far as 2400 B.C.E.

Through 375 photographs and illustrations, the publication reveals a history of “small architectures” designed for non-human life, bringing into view a long and varied lineage of forms that preceded the modern hive.

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Title: Ruches, 2400 A.E.C. – 1852 E.C. / Hives, 2400 B.C.E. – 1852 C.E.
Artist: Aladin Borioli (APIAN)
Publisher: RVB Books / Images Vevey, 2020
Format: Softcover, perfect binding
Size: 110 × 155 mm
Pages: 448
Language: English / French
Edition: Second printing
ISBN: 979-10-90306-98-1