Walk of the Wind
Lac-Mégantic, CA
Human Perches
Chouette à voir!, St-Jude, CA
A listening path through the forest reveals the secret symphony of birds, inviting new interspecies connections.
Punctuating the forest boardwalk of a sanctuary for birds of prey, ten interactive human-sized perches compose a sonic narrative of the forest’s inhabitants, inviting visitors to tune into the natural surroundings.
When a perch is activated, the call of a local bird is added seamlessly to its unique seasonal soundtrack. Created in collaboration with contemporary classical composer Keiko Devaux, the pathway’s layered and evolving soundscape reveals the dynamics and interactions that animate the surrounding ecosystem.
The winged residents of the sanctuary are quietest when humans are present. The Human Perches reveal what we otherwise cannot hear, transforming the act of listening into an experience of awareness of the living world.
How
Each perch plays an abstract soundtrack drawn from the surrounding ecosystem. When a visitor sits or stands upon one, a local bird call is blended into the composition. As visitors move along the path, they progress through the four seasons and the changing soundscape of the region’s birdlife: vigilance in winter, courtship in spring, protection in summer, and migration in autumn. When humans aren’t present, the artwork is silent.
The act of perching calls for a full awareness of one’s body and physical surroundings. In this moment of presence and suspension, a new form of active listening is engaged.
Original musical composition
Juno award winning composer Keiko Devaux collaborated with Daily tous les jours on the development of an interactive soundtrack that encourages curiosity and stillness.
Keiko created an evolving dialogue between two sonic layers: a base composition, and trigger tracks featuring the voices of seasonal birds. These bird calls are also integrated into the base compositions, transformed into ethereal textures or rhythmic elements. The resulting soundscape offers glimpses when heard from afar and rich details to those who perch and lean in to listen. The perches adopt the energy of their respective seasons, featuring low strings for autumn, bright pizzicatos for spring, languid pedal steel for summer, and airy flutes for winter.
Sustainable design
Anodized aluminum was chosen for its durability and recyclability, ensuring an eventual second life for the artwork. Technology is integrated sparingly and thoughtfully, balancing interactive elements with environmental impact.
The raised boardwalk that hosts the artwork includes salvaged materials from the nearby Champlain Bridge, and protects the complex ecosystem that attracts birds to this area, allowing humans to pass through and observe with minimal disturbance.
l’UQROP
The Quebec Union for the Rehabilitation of Birds of Prey (UQROP) in St-Jude receives over 400 birds each year, providing a vital space for their rehabilitation while raising awareness about the ecological challenges they face. As part of the construction of its interpretation center, and with support from Quebec’s Ministry of Culture and Communications, UQROP commissioned Daily tous les jours to create a new artwork for its forest.
Located near the entrance of the interpretation center, the artwork creates a transitional space between the natural and educational environments.
Credits
-
- Created by Daily tous les jours.
- Commissioned by l’Union québécoise de réhabilitation des oiseaux de proie (UQROP).
- Creative Direction
- Mouna Andraos
- Melissa Mongiat
- Original Composition
- Keiko Devaux
- Production
- Lilian Laucoin
- Stu Wershof
- Sound Direction
- Michael Baker
- Technological Direction
- Guillaume Saindon
- Renaud Vincent
- Technical Direction
- Mathieu Frenette
- Technological Development
- Eva Schindling
- Manuel Acevedo Civantos
- Industrial Design Collaborators
- smallmediumlarge
- Design
- Ariane Dörig
- Design Support
- Michael Carosello
- Magalie Rouleau
- Rafine You
- Technological Assembly
- Asa Perlman
- Vincent Frenette
- Pipo Pierre-Louis
- Audio Consultant
- Cristobal Urbina
- Fabrication
- Jack World
- Almaho
- JEFO Construction
- Lukas Zayat
- Software
- MaxMSP
- Processing
- Video
- Étienne Lacelle
- Photo
- Olivier Blouin
- Special Thanks To
- Ministry of Culture and Communications of Quebec, Suzie Plourde, Vanessa L. Beauregard, Suzanne Saint-Pierre, Sonia Vaillancourt, Philippe Moreau, Lamia Charlebois, Paco Deux, the foxes, the frogs, a little hawk, and the Daily tous les jours team.
