This is the second Norwegian Nests in The Conference of the Birds. Here we present how the heated conflict between people and kittiwakes in the city of Tromsø now has taken a new turn due to a unique collaboration between artists, architects, researchers and the city council – Important steps in towards coexistence. This has lead to interesting and fruitful conversations and knowledge exchange, and the creation of artful, designer homes for the previously homeless birds. We organised a seminar in collaboration with Tromsø Art Association where we posed the question: Can People and Birds become friends?
The black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) is the most numerous of the gulls in Norway. However, the kittiwake population in Norway has declined by as much as 60-80 percent in the recent decades. Of the seven seagull species in Norway, five are in danger of extinction. For the kittiwakes climate change has led to more difficult access to food in terms of harsh weather on the bird cliffs, the kittiwake’s natural habitat in the ocean. The threats from predators (mainly hungry white-tailed eagles, great black-backed gulls, and corvids) have also caused the kittiwakes to not succeed well in breeding. In Norway and other countries, large numbers of kittiwakes have therefore fled their natural habitats on cliffs in the ocean, to seeking refuge among people in cities. In the city of Tromsø, the population of kittiwakes has increased from 17 pairs in 2017 to 800 in 2024.
Tromsø Municipality’s vision and slogan, “Together for a warm and vibrant Tromsø,” emphasises the integration and inclusion of all the city’s residents. However, the municipality does not extend the same responsibility when endangered birds seek refuge. Instead, it covers buildings with netting to prevent the kittiwakes from nesting on the window sills of urban buildings. Such measures can be seen as an active contribution to their eradication. Human concerns take precedence, while the displaced birds are forced to constantly search for new places to nest. The public debate has been one-sided, with the media largely sympathising with angry residents who want to remove the red-listed kittiwakes from the city. While racism is rarely used in reference to birds and animals, the discussions in the media have been both harsh and one-sided. At the same time, there are many who feel sympathy for the displaced kittiwakes, and attitudes are gradually shifting.
Several artists are now involved in a unique coexistence project in collaboration with the Tromsø Centre for Contemporary Art and the Municipality of Tromsø. The architect Kjeld Nash from AT Architects, artist/designer Lawrence Malstaf and artist Kåre Grundvåg are working together with researcher Tone Reiertsen and others, exploring what kind of urban living conditions might be suitable for the kittiwakes. They have now created several kittiwake hotels; a blend of a refugee camp and a sculpture park for kittiwakes. These have so far been placed in the park outside the Tromsø Centre for Contemporary Art and the Tromsø County Council building. The windowsills of both these buildings were previously home to a huge number of refugee kittiwakes. The project has so far been a success, with a steady number of birds finding new and secure homes on artificial cliffs outside the art gallery.
The Conference of the Birds has followed this transdisciplinary process with great interest, where artists, architects and the municipality has worked together to find creative and good solutions for the urban kittiwake refugees. We were particularly excited about how this process has evolved and how the conflict has shifted during the project. Notably, the media is now more inclined to consider broader perspectives, including the bird’s perspective, which has led to a change in public perception. This is yet another example of how art can move minds and awaken knowledge, joy, empathy, and awareness of our birds in an engaging and thought-provoking way. Rooted in research, such work can expand perspectives and transform conflicts into new, more empathetic spaces of opportunity.
In August 2023, The Conference of the Birds initiated the symposium Can Birds and Humans Be Friends? during the exhibition I Love Seagulls! at the Tromsø Centre for Contemporary Art. Our intention was to provide insight into the interdisciplinary work with the kittiwakes in Tromsø and to present the conflict within a broader bird perspective, conveyed through the artists and researchers involved. We sought to shift the dialogue from conflict-driven and problem-based discussions to more philosophical, aesthetic, and practical considerations. We invited artists, architects, and researchers to present their work with the kittiwakes and engage in dialogue with the public. You can read more about the symposium and see the different talks in the posts below.
Here is the jamsession between David Rothenberg and the kittiwakes, Kitty wee wee.
You can read more about the symposium and see the different talks in the posts below.
Can people and birds be friends?
How can artists and more-than-human perspectives be included in future social planning?
An endangered bird seeks refuge in the city
It’s all about coexistence
Fuglan Veit – how can research, art, traditional knowledge and dialog be united?
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?
How a book saved the whooper swans in Finland from extinction
