The installation Pollinators, by art and design studio Aether & Hemera, requires the viewers to use their mobile phones or tablets to trigger birdcalls from 10 interactive birdhouses. The installation is designed to raise awareness of the decline of natural pollinators in the UK and the subsequent affect on our food chain.
In nature, pollinators – from the birds to the bees – are critically important for the ecosystem and for agriculture. According to the State of the UK’s Birds Report, the UK has lost 44 million breeding birds since the late 1960s. The Pollinators installation is a call for people to take practical actions to help preserve these important creatures. Without our intervention, the populations of birds will continue to decline. One way to help is to provide habitats.
According to Lucy Jenkins, Art Exhibitions Curator at the DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery, the exhibition of the installation, which is on show at her galleries until 10 January 2016, is “outstandingly artistically” and captured the imaginations of the visiting families.
Gloria Ronchi and Claudio Benghi founded multidisciplinary studio Aether & Hemera in 2008. The studio uses light and digital mediums to create engaging spaces and connect people to their environment. Their vision is to provoke memories through experiences that require participation.
