Sunday, July 4, 2010

"63 eggs laid at the Barbican"


i have just been reading about an installation by French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot, where the barbican gallery was converted into an aviary, and filled with musical instruments and zebra finches, whose movements and landing upon siad instruments created a soundscape within the space. i'm sure there's a john cage/birdcage joke in there somewhere... but i will spare you and instead provide a link to a sweet story from the guardian (and a slideshow).

i wonder about the ethics of using the birds in such an erratic sounding environment, but i do think that there is beauty in the work, especially given the small and delicate nature of the birds, and by contrast the rather harsh heavy sounds that result from their tiny movements. i wonder if it is intended as a comparison between the difference of scale between actions and their consequences? for me this disparity and imbalance creates both a tension and a curiosity about what will result next..

(on a more frivolous note, it also reminds me a bit of this short animation from pixar!)

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