By Emma Taggart on January 27, 2021

This takes the term “songbird” to another level.

When you think of bird songs you probably imagine sweet-sounding tweets, cheeps, and chirps. Our feathered friends can create beautiful sounds when they sing, but what if they got their claws on some instruments? Inspired by this idea, French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot created a space that allows birds to interact with 14 amplified guitars. His sound project, titled From Here to Ear, sees 70 zebra finches create unique sounds as they flutter, perch, and hop on the strings.

For the touring exhibition, Boursier-Mougenot turns the gallery space into an aviary. The 70 birds have plenty of space to fly, nest, and explore as they unknowingly create ambient sound. With a variety of whistles and calls, zebra finches are known to be very vocal. When in a room with multiple instruments, their natural sounds are beautifully complemented with the guitar twangs. Visitors can walk through the space and experience the sounds from various areas of the room.[…]

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