Immortal Pigeons
2023
Materials
Transducer, Fleece, Wire, Arduino Zero, VS1053 codec
Dimensions
WxDxH: 52cm x 52cm x 134cm | 20.5 in x 20.5 in x 52.8 in
About this work
Pigeons are my anchor to an unfamiliar land. Dismissed as 'flying rats' on the streets of New York, I see in these birds the quiet loneliness of those who are cast aside. Immortal Pigeons, shaped from soft fabric, is an act of mourning for the small lives that go unnoticed.
When a viewer holds one of these pigeons, a sensor inside detects the pressure of their embrace, and a vibrating coo spills from the speaker within. By responding to the coldness of death with softness and sound, I hope to awaken something essential about life that hides within silence, and to draw out empathy for the neighbors we share our city with but rarely see. This work is made only when I find a pigeon that has lost its fight in a corner of the street, making each piece a once-in-a-lifetime requiem.
* This artwork is collected by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum
* Exhibited in"2025 Birds in Art" at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum (Wisconsin, United States)