Installation of a giant new "dancing bee clock" has begun in the heart of Orange.
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The $176,000 permanent exhibit pairs high-definition photographs of real dead critters with footage of abstract dancing in bee-inspired costumes.
Two 1.8 metre circular LED screens bolted to the outdoor tiles at Orange Civic Theatre will broadcast the images.
Construction began Monday. Photographs of a dog are being used for testing.
The Central Western Daily understands an official unveiling is planned for March.
"I'm reimagining a town hall clock ... it's going to be a clock with a difference," Wollongong-based artist Zanny Begg said last year.
"It will keep perfect time, but obviously reading it is not going to be like 'Oh, that's two o'clock'. It'd be like, 'oh, that's Blue Banded Bee o'clock' ... it will be a little bit of a puzzle."
Bee photographs were taken at the Department of Primary Industries in Orange. Almost 1000 exposures for each insect were painstakingly stitched together to create spectacularly high resolution composites.
Professional dancers were filmed at the Civic Theatre in November, 2023 with choreographer Larissa McGowan and costume designer Alexi Freeman.
"When we look at our watch or our phone we think that's time, when really that's just a way in which we compartmentalise time. There is this other time which is seasonal and bigger than the modern human edifice that we've layered on to time," Ms Begg said.
"The idea is to get people engaging with the clock and ... finding ways to read the time through it, which won't be immediately apparent. It is to think about deep time ... about the way that we connect with the natural world."
Construction has attracted some pushback from councillors and ratepayers, who believe the project represents are inappropriate spend of funds.
"This was approved by the previous council and the majority of the cost is covered an external grant," Cr Steve Peterson said in April.
"None-the-less we have had public art projects recently in McNamara Lane and with the Golden Balls with a variety of opinions on this. I personally don't see public art as an expenditure priority. I guess we will see community opinion on the project when installed."
The bulk of the $176,000 cost was covered by government grants. Orange City Council is contributing $23,000.