Flyway
There are 500 000 migrating birds leaving Australian shores every year. The Australasian Flyway encompaces 22 countries, and is a 25 000 km round trip. But many birds spend most of their time here. There are 35 different species and their survival is dependent on habitat preservation. Moreton Bay shore lines are under threat from the Toondah Harbour redevelopment and critical bird habitats will be built on or polluted.
“FLYWAY investigates the enchanting nature of migratory birds and the annual epic, threatened journeys they make across a shifting globe in search of rest, food and a nest. Wearing headphones and binoculars audiences are enveloped in a lush soundscape and led on a birdwatching tour through urban spaces to encounter special moments dotted along the path – birds framed by screens, lenses and the city itself. Using video, sound and performance FLYWAY merges foreground and background and points to our mediated experience of ‘nature’.
The richly layered audiovisual work is drawn from a partnership with Birdlife Australia and their volunteer networks. Elizabeth Dunn undertook an extensive, month-long field research trip along the coast between Melbourne and Maryborough (QLD) to meet with local birders, visit bird sites and collect field recordings. Inspired by colossal migrations, Flyway’s sonic character suggests thick clusters of bird flocks and dense clouds of sound, shifting up and down along the coasts of nations as it creates an auditory envelope around its participants”.
Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/58687327 June 11, 2017
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwfcOLYu_gI&w=854&h=480]