Bees have long held a special place in the public imagination, with their complex societies, suicidal defence strategies or simply their impressive building abilities. More recently, with the rapid and worrying decline of many bee species, the striped insect has come to hold an almost mythic status, as the fight to reverse their fortune gathers momentum.

At the forefront of an emerging urban beekeeping movement, the New Museum for Bees opens in Budapest on 22nd August 2013 for a six week stint. The innovative installation is not just about bees, but also for bees, in the most literal sense: all the exhibition rooms are made to be used by our diminutive furry friends. Human visitors get to observe bees’ behaviour as they interact with the museum, which the creators -- German artist collective Finger -- have designed to encourage reflections on our own society.

Established and maintained by Közösségi méz (Hungarian for Social Honey), the project lives up to its host’s name, fostering an inclusive environment that brings together people in difficult life situations, such as those with drug addictions and the long-term unemployed, and has an open-door policy for anyone wanting to learn the basics of beekeeping.