The Backpack of Wings
Since ancient times, whenever a natural disaster strikes, people anecdotally report that “animals knew it beforehand”, a belief related to animals as spiritual beings. As telemetry systems evolve, this animistic belief is solidified and transformed into data by calculating, analysing and biologging the animal body. This animal behaviour data should enable the forecasting of near-future natural events. In the distant future, the telemetry system should evolve and open up the possibility of creating a new network (Pĭlacommúnĭtas), in which non-humans and humans are interconnected.
This new technology enables us to unfold a new possibility to face the climate emergency. The transformation would also allow us to redefine the relationship between human beings and animals. But it also provokes a lot of questions: How far is the intervention of human beings into non-humans acceptable? Will the animals be perceived as essential members of human society? Will they be revered as divine agents for predicting the future, or simply as measuring tools? And above all, could it be a proper solution for the opaque future or is it another anthropocentric techo-fixational illusion?
“The Backpack of Wings” is an artistic research project, seeking for a new relation with non-human beings by focusing on the animistic aspect of the ethological study and looks into the new telemetry system. The Project depicts a near future scenario with the film “The Backpack of Wings: Modern Mythology”, and a further future with the installations “Pĭlacommúnĭtas”, “Pĭlacommúnĭtas: 2130 News”, “Nephesh”, “2022 Artifact”. The workshop “The Backpack of Wings: Sensory Networks” puts the lens on one migratory bird by using the GPS data, and invites the participants to create an imaginary storytelling.
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Acknowledgement
In cooperation with Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour: Michael Quetting, Hemal Naik, Carla Avolio, Andrea Flack
Supported by Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) based on a decision of the German Bundestag
*The backpack of wings’ was developed within the framework of Driving the Human; cooperation between Forecast/Skills e.V., HfG, ZKM, acatech.
This new technology enables us to unfold a new possibility to face the climate emergency. The transformation would also allow us to redefine the relationship between human beings and animals. But it also provokes a lot of questions: How far is the intervention of human beings into non-humans acceptable? Will the animals be perceived as essential members of human society? Will they be revered as divine agents for predicting the future, or simply as measuring tools? And above all, could it be a proper solution for the opaque future or is it another anthropocentric techo-fixational illusion?
“The Backpack of Wings” is an artistic research project, seeking for a new relation with non-human beings by focusing on the animistic aspect of the ethological study and looks into the new telemetry system. The Project depicts a near future scenario with the film “The Backpack of Wings: Modern Mythology”, and a further future with the installations “Pĭlacommúnĭtas”, “Pĭlacommúnĭtas: 2130 News”, “Nephesh”, “2022 Artifact”. The workshop “The Backpack of Wings: Sensory Networks” puts the lens on one migratory bird by using the GPS data, and invites the participants to create an imaginary storytelling.
︎︎︎See all works of The Backpack of Wings
Acknowledgement
In cooperation with Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour: Michael Quetting, Hemal Naik, Carla Avolio, Andrea Flack
Supported by Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) based on a decision of the German Bundestag
*The backpack of wings’ was developed within the framework of Driving the Human; cooperation between Forecast/Skills e.V., HfG, ZKM, acatech.