This wonderful installation is exactly the kind of modern art I like: it’s interactive, original, and provokes a strong emotional response. You can enjoy it even if you know nothing about art and have no ideas about what it might ‘mean’.
The Curve space at the Barbican centre has been transformed into a large aviary full of zebra finches – yes, a huge flock of live birds. It is landscaped with a path winding through sandy areas with tufts of grass, and nest boxes have been placed on the walls. And around the room, there have been placed a selection of guitars, base guitars and cymbals, all hooked up to amps. As the birds fly around and come to roost on these instruments, pecking seeds out from between the guitar strings, their movements trigger a constant background of musical sounds.
Fascinating as it is to hear this soundscape, it is being in such close proximity to these creatures that makes the installation such a unique experience – and it helps that the zebra finches are just about the cutest birds imaginable. They are tiny, with delicate pointed red beaks and fluffy, prettily patterned feathers, in varying shades of grey and brown. They dart through the air at speed, and chirrup surprisingly loudly for such small creatures, their calls mingling with the more unorthodox sounds of the installation.
Since they have now been in residence for some time, the finches are very tame, and will land, uninvited on visitors’ shoulders and bags. I saw about six of them crowd onto one man’s feet, perhaps attracted by the bright yellow laces in his trainers, preventing him from walking anywhere until his companion gently shooed them away. The sense of wonder was clear to see in the faces of all the visitors.
I don’t know if there was some deeper meaning to this piece, but I believe that sometimes art is all about the experience, and this was one that I certainly won’t forget.
A video clip of this installation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Kz8Nxb-Bg
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