A Miami Beach-inspired retreat for sun-seekers, a wood shingle-clad multifamily residence, and a 3D-printed earthen abode will all debut this month inavian-friendly form at Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG)’sFor the Birds, an exhibition and event series billed as a “multidisciplinary celebration of the interconnectedness of birds and plants.”
The garden-wide festivities kick take flight beginning on June 11.
The aforementioned creations—designed byStudio Barnes,Joyce Hwang, andSO–ILin collaboration with Dalma Földesi, Jung In Seo, and Eventscape, respectively—are just three of the33 site-specific birdhousesthat will anchor the BBG’s blockbuster bird bash, which will also feature an indoor gallery exhibition, music, performances, and educational programming inspired by the birds that call the 52-acre botanical garden home. In addition to fêting the garden’s feathered residents, the exhibition will draw attention to the various threats they face.
“Climate change and related destruction of habitat have led to a 30 percent decline in birds across North America,” said Adrian Benepe, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, in a press statement. “Since 1911, Brooklyn Botanic Garden has been growing, preserving, and promoting plants and conservation—we are home to one of the nation’s first native plant gardens, and our grounds function as a wonderful, protected space for birds.”
“For the Birdscelebrates and underscores the existential connection between birds and plants, which are entirely mutually dependent, with art, education, and science for an audience of all ages,” Benepe added.
Among the impressive slate of architects, landscape architects, designers, and artists tapped for the avian architecture exhibition are Miriam Peterson and Nathan Rich ofPeterson Rich Office,Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIOby Helene Schauer,Roman and Williams,Steven HollandRaphael Mostel,Barry McGee,Tom Sachs,Misha Kahn, andOlalekan Jeyifous, whoseBirdegapays tribute to the “vanishing urban ephemera” of New York City such as corner bodegas and storefront churches. Meanwhile,Walter Hood’sA Nest for Crowsreimagines the relationship between humans and the prolific winged scavenger-builders with a habitat—“woven together to create form for new life” per Hood—built byusfrom our own foraged litter, including bottlecaps and other discarded objects.
Several of the 33 birdhouses on display during the run ofFor the Birdswere created with specific species in mind, such asSuchi Reddy’s dome-shaped, Carolina wren nest-inspiredThe Nest Egg;Nina Cooke John’sOh Robin!, andEllen Van Dusen’sTrust Me Downy, a fabricated-from-cedar homage to the downy woodpecker, a species that the Brooklyn textile designer described as being “loud, destructive, personable, and cute.”
“Imagine a really big version of a downy woodpecker,” Van Dusen added. “But make it a birdhouse.”
Presenting sponsor Warby Parker also offered up its own cheeky contribution dubbedBooks for Birds. The wooden shelter takes form as a library constructed from books forpeople-watching patrons, with titles includingRare Brooklynites and Their Nesting BehaviorsandPeople Songs: Vol. 2 (1990–1999).
A full list of the birdhouses and their respective designers as well as their locations within the sprawling, Prospect Park-adjacent BBG campus can be foundhere.
For the Birdsis just one component ofThe Birdsong Project, a larger just-launched initiative from the exhibition’s creative director, the lauded television and film music supervisor Randall Poster. Later this year, Poster, best known for his work with director Wes Anderson, will releaseThe Birdsong Project, a 20-album set of original recordings created during the COVID-19 lockdown. Encompassing poetry, album cover art, and more than 200 works of original music,The Birdsong Projectfeatures a star-studded list of contributors spanning music, film, the visual arts, literature, and poetry. Beck, Elvis Costello, Bette Midler, Philip Glass, Roz Chast, Yo Yo Ma, Nick Cave, Jeff Goldblum, and Rita Dove are just a few of the notable names involved. Some works fromThe Birdsong Project将出现在运行的For the Birdsvia dedicated listening stations and live performances.
“就像很多人在家工作期间Plague of 2020, I found some solace in the quiet that descended on New York City,” said Poster in a statement. “As someone moved by and working on music all my life, I had my ears opened to the music of the birds and was moved by the beauty and variety of their song. I was not alone. I also learned that bird life was at great threat as habitats are increasingly threatened. And so, inspired by both joy and revelation, the Birdsong Project began.”
In addition to the birdhouse exhibition, other major programming highlights ofFor the Birdsinclude anopening celebrationon June 11;Birds of the West Indies,an exhibition of works from multidisciplinary artist Taryn Simon on view in the BBG’s Conservatory Gallery (June 7–August 28);weekend birding tours; aliminal soundbathby Alex Sommers, Julianna Barwick, and Mary Lattimore (June 20); a range of family-friendly exhibits; horticulture displays, andmuch more.
For the Birdsruns through the summer and through the beginning of fall, concluding on October 23.
