singing sentinels: climate change acceleration by liam young

‘singing sentinels: climate change acceleration’ by liam young images courtesy of the artist

‘singing sentinels’ by london-based architect liam young explores a future scenario where bio-engineered birds once again monitor the air for people. eighty birds have been released into the new order exhibition at the mediamatic gallery in amsterdam as an ecological warning system, living in the space and providing audible feedback on the state of the atmosphere.

where coal miners once hammered rock with twittering canaries living beside them, their changing song became alarms for dangerous gas leaks. these living sensors watched over the workers, keeping them safe. flooding the gallery with CO2, the air mixture is altered to replicate the predicted atmospheric changes of the next 100 years. users hear the canary song subtly shift, as their rhythm changes to an eventual silence, with birds singing a toxic sky – an elegy for a changing planet.

installation view with canaries and CO2 canister

a climate change acceleration performance video courtesy of liam young

installation view

CO2 canister detail within the gallery

canaries within the gallery

various canaries