Photo courtesy of consciousbreathing

If you’re strolling through Angel Place in Sydney, Australia, make sure you look up: a canopy of 110 birdcages hangs above the alleyway, filtering an otherworldly soundtrack of birdcalls to the streets below. Originally commissioned as part of the temporary Laneway art program in 2009, Michael Hill’s “Forgotten Songs” proved so popular with Sydney residents that the city’s Public Art Advisory Panel recommended that the installation become a permanent fixture. Read more!

Inspired by the threat of habitat loss, one of the biggest pressures facing bird survival, “Forgotten Songs” commemorates the bird calls once heard in the city of Sydney.

During the installation process, Hill met with scientist Dr. Richard Major for consultation on the specific breeds of birds native to Angel Place before the arrival of Europeans. Major compiled a list of 50 birds, both diurnal and nocturnal, while his colleague, wildlife recordist Fred van Geseell, provided the artist with the accompanying sound files.

All photos courtesy of the City of Sydney, unless otherwise noted

[via mymodernmet]

by Ashley Wells

posted in Uncategorized

tagged Art, art installation, australia, bird cage, bird call, bird song, hanging, music, Soundtrack, suspended

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