Silence – Where are the birds that used to sing?

Silence – Where are the birds that used to sing?, 2023


This work consists of 22 small cushions measuring 12×12 cm, made of fabric in various patterns. On the front, there are images/fingerprint-like prints of nests placed over random maps.

“Inside, the instrument that imposes a circular shape on the nest is nothing other than the bird’s own body.”¹

The small cushions/22 nests form a circular shape—a new collective body—a dialogue between the individual and the collective, the periphery and the center, the voice and the silence. The number 22 is known in numerology as the “Master Builder” and represents the energy of construction, the ability to turn ideas and ideals into reality, to materialize demands. It reminds us of the urgency of transformative actions.

A nest refers both to a space of construction, protection, and shelter, and to a place of confinement. If we think of nests as a possibility for existence or silencing, we can also reflect on how physical, social, or symbolic spaces can either embrace or repress different voices.

An empty nest is a silent space that echoes the disappearance of birdsong or, metaphorically, the silencing of voices and/or different world narratives — something that can happen in many ways throughout history, culture, and the body. Voices silenced by oppressive systems of power that determine who can speak, how, and what can be said or passed on.