Concert d'Oiseaux by Wouter Osterholt

(French for Concert of Birds )* focuses on the phenomenon of vagrant birds, an occurrence in biology whereby an individual animal appears well outside its normal range. Vagrancy has increased significantly over the last years as species try to find new escape routes from human-driven climate change and widespread habitat destruction. Instead of staying put and facing potential extinction, a few solitary pioneers scout new habitats as their former homes become unliveable. The work consists of wooden reproductions of birds that were discovered during recent sightings in Belgium and installed on two dead pine trees. The work is situated next to a small chapel of Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travellers. The work is accompanied by a sound piece consisting of the bird songs from all the different species, which can be activated on site by scanning a QR code.

* The title ‘Concert of Birds’ comes from a 17th century painting genre that originated in Belgium. The paintings show a colourful diversity of domestic and exotic birds perched awkwardly on top of branches. What was once a just an imaginative décor has turned into a worrying sign of the climate crisis and its disturbing effect within the biosphere.

for more information: https://www.wouterosterholt.com/concert-doiseaux/concert-doiseaux