Icelandic artist Björk has announced a new sound installation that aims to give a voice to endangered and extinct animals. Titled Natural Manifesto, the 3-minute 40-second piece will be presented at the Centre Pompidou in Paris from November 20 to December 9.
The installation, created in collaboration with French artist Aleph, uses AI software to recreate the calls of extinct animals and merge them with Björk’s spoken word vocals. The project has been supported by the sound research institute IRCAM and curated by Chloé Siganos and Delphine Le Gatt, along with environmentalists from France and Iceland.
“This immersive sound piece gives endangered and extinct animals a voice by merging their sounds with our words,” Björk explained in an Instagram post. “We wanted to share their presence in architecture representing the industrial age, far away from nature. In the veins of the escalator of the museum, known as the ‘caterpillar’, we wanted to remind citizens of the raw vitality of endangered creatures.”
Björk added that even as people move through the museum, the animals’ voices will “build a sonic bridge towards the listeners.” The installation is part of the Biodiversity: Which culture for which future? forum, which aims to raise awareness of the threats facing life on Earth.
Nature’s Manifesto is the latest in a series of Björk’s efforts to amplify the voices of the natural world and inspire action on the environmental crisis.The artist has previously used her platform to address environmental issues. During her Cornucopia tour, she presented a self-directed feature focused on the climate crisis. Björk will also be releasing a 480-page book documenting the colossal tour on November 15.
See the announcement below.
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