The Conference of the Birds
The Conference of the Birds is a transdisciplinary and socially engaged art project exploring creative ways to coexist with birds in a more-than-human world. The project reflects on different bird cultures in the Nordic countries. We examine our shared human-avian histories to create new lines of thought and action to ensure the continuance of our co-existence in an uncertain future.
Nests
The project consists of a series of site-specific collaborations between artists, bird researchers and local partners called Nests. The artworks have hatched out of these collaborations, exploring topics relating to birds and their habitats. The works are exhibiting in the participating countries or together as a group show.
News
Tibutibuvihihehehiu – Live with the Blyth’s Reed Warbler
An essay by David Rothenberg This essay unravels an intriguing encounter between a human musician, a Blyth’s Reed…
Followup: New designer-homes for urban kittiwake refugees.
A lot of amazing work has happened since our seminar in Tromsø in August 2023; Can people and…
The Conference of the Birds exhibition at Österängens konsthall, Jönköping.
Österängens konsthall and Jönköpings Fågelmuseum 1 June — 1 September 2024 The exhibition at Österängens konsthall and Jönköpings…
Singing as numerous as space, measureless as noon 8. 11. 2024 – 2. 3. 2025
The exhibition Singing as numerous as space, measureless as noon at the Museum of Fine Arts, Liberec in…
How words can change the life of birds.
In her doctoral dissertation, literary historian Katri Aholainen examined Yrjö Kokko’s classic works on birds as a co-production…
Birds in Finnish literature
For the Winged Words Nest the Finnish literary scholar Karoliina Lumma has contributed with an essay that was…
Sensing Birdpoetic Worlds
Jessica Sunnebo’s 2023 thesis explores the poetry of Swedish poet Nina Södergren (1924–2015) through an ecocritical and animistic…
Chorus sinensis at Hanaholmen Cultural Centre
Chorus sinensis was exhibited at Hanaholmen Cultural Centre in Espoo, Finland 15. March – 1. September 2024. The…
Ahoo Ahoo – a film in the making
Selvær is an island of the Helgeland archipelago on the coast of North Norway. For centuries the islanders…
I-the Duck
Mesmerized by the magical qualities of eiderdown Eva is making an eiderdown suit inspired by the “sleeping pyjamas”…
Collaboration and contempt: Birds Eye Views
The Conference of the Birds is a transdisciplinary, polyphonic and socially engaged art project with collaborations between artists,…
Birds Eye Perspectives / Fugleperspektiver
How can art and science work together to make room for birds? In Norway, we have lost more…
Varelse / Værelse
31 August – 2 September 2023 in Gothenburg, Sweden Guided bird and landscape architecture walk and workshops in…
Mänttä Art Festival 2023
In the summer of 2023 Chorus sinensis was invited to show at Mänttä Arts Festival, one of Finland’s…
Kitty Wee Kitty Wee – an interspecies jam concert.
For a number of years, philosopher/artist/musician David Rothenberg has interacted with creatures great and small, from thrushes and…
Can people and birds be friends?
As part of the exhibition We love seagulls at Tromsø Contemporary Art Society (Tromsø kunstforening) in 2023 The Conference of the Birds held an interdisciplinary seminar on how to coexist with kittiwakes.
How can artists and more-than-human perspectives be included in future social planning?
As part of the symposium Can People and Birds be Friends in Tromsø Centre for Contemporary Arts Eva…
An endangered bird seeks refuge in the city
Tone Reiertsen, Researcher at NINA, talks about the kittiwake and why it has fled from the bird cliffs…
It’s all about coexistence
Artist Irene Kaltenborn talks about her work with the kittiwakes as climate refugees and asks: What is a…
Fuglan Veit – how can research, art, traditional knowledge and dialog be united?
Associate Professor Bente Sundsvold and Professor Anniken Førde from the University of Tromsø talk about the interdisciplinary seabird…
What kind of consideration and dialog do you have to have as an architect and designer when the customer is a bird and the client is a municipality?
Architect Kjeld Nash and artist Lawrence Malstaf talk about the process of planning, designing, communicating and mediating between…
How a book saved the whooper swans in Finland from extinction
PhD Katri Aholainen talks about her research and the impact art can have on bird conservation through the…
More-than-human art for endangered birds
Artist Kåre Grundvåg and artistic and general manager at Tromsø Centre for Contemporary Arts, Camilla Fagerli have together…
A bird worthy of a song
This is the beautiful text about the Great Cormorant written by researcher and literary scholar Karoliina Lumma for…
Equinox walk
On the 21.03 (at 4-7PM) Avian/Human invite you for an equinox walk that explores bird time and human…
Avian/Human Events in Copenhagen
The Conference of the Birds is unfolding between February and May in the Dome of Life at Island…
Andefågeln – Becoming Spirit Bird
Participatory performance transforming bodies to the inner spirit bird As a part of the event The city with…
BRING BACK BIRDS
Design workshop educating on birds of the past, present and the future via designed communication tools and embodied…
The video Staden med ett fågelperspektiv
Staden med ett fågelperspektiv (The city with a bird’s eye view, Swedish and English speech)Ulrika Jansson, Kristina Meiton,…