Dying Sparrow At The Tate Modern

Dorsk 81 · Post by **Dorsk 81** » 2004-05-12 12:32pm

BBC News wrote:A "dying" sparrow has become the first of a series of installations in a new space at London's Tate Modern.

Created by Danish and Norwegian duo Michael-Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, the stunned sparrow appears to be trapped inside the museum window.

In fact, the mechanical creature is the work of the animatronics team behind the critically-acclaimed BBC show Walking With Dinosaurs.

The artists said the bird's incidental appearance was part of their message.

"We found out that sparrows are called 'Cockney sparrows' in Britain and are a working class symbol," said Mr Dragset.

"We wanted to show that working class culture and working class pride is dying out, even though there are still as many poor people."

Common theme

The installations, in the ground floor space that used to house the Tate Modern shop, will rotate every eight weeks.

All the artists are working with the theme The Public World of The Private Space, examining how "the human condition is altered by the public or private environment".

"When the artists came to us, it seemed quite perverse that for this inaugural project the whole space would be completely empty apart from this tiny bird in the window," said Tate Modern curator Susan May.

"People walking past outside can see this drama unfurling, or they might miss it. It really depends on how preoccupied they are."

Rye · Post by **Rye** » 2004-05-12 12:36pm

Since this is modern art that took genuine effort to create, I don't hate it.

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2004-05-12 01:13pm

Good symbolism + genuine effort and thought = good art.

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2004-05-13 05:58am

Ah, but will it make you throw up, Dorsk?

Dorsk 81 · Post by **Dorsk 81** » 2004-05-13 07:19am

Now how did I know you'd have to stick your 2 cents in hmm?
1. It was not due to hang over.
2. It was not due to the rotting fruit.

I just felt ill was all.

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2004-05-13 07:54am

Dorsk 81 wrote:Now how did I know you'd have to stick your 2 cents in hmm?
1. It was not due to hang over.
2. It was not due to the rotting fruit.

I just felt ill was all.

I'm only joking dear. And I didn't say it was due to either of those, did I?

Dorsk 81 · Post by **Dorsk 81** » 2004-05-13 08:01am

InnerBrat wrote:
I'm only joking dear. And I didn't say it was due to either of those, did I?

I feel it was implied. It was the lack of eatting combined with the awkward position I'd slept in the night before.

AnimeJet · Post by **AnimeJet** » 2004-05-13 09:43am

Interesting... it reminds me of an exhibit we have at our academy of sciences; various dead animals, including birds, with maggots and other bugs eating it. Just to demonstrate the rotting process.