5. For The Birds at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden
On display at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is For the Birds, a multidisciplinary celebration of the interconnections between birds and plants. For the Birds works to promote awareness of the impact of climate change, air and water pollution, and habitat destruction on the North American bird population, which has declined in size by 30 percent since 1970. At the center of For the Birds is a Garden-wide exhibition of 33 site-specific birdhouses created by renowned artists, architects, and designers such as Misha Kahn and Tom Sachs. Visitors of For the Birds can learn more about robins’ nest weaving at Nina Cooke John’s Oh Robin! while others can explore a sanctuary for migratory species at Jessica Maffia’s A Home for Flickers.
In addition, interwoven throughout For the Birds via a listening station and live performances is The Birdsong Project, a collection of nearly 200 original pieces of music, more than 70 poems, and 20 original album covers by more than 220 music artists, actors, literary figures, and visual artists—all curated by the exhibition’s director Randall Poster. Contributors to The Birdsong Project include musician Nick Cave, actor Natasha Lyonne, and artist Simon Shuback among others. Additional works on display at For the Birds are Taryn Simon’s Birds of the West Indies in the Conservatory Gallery and a Soundbath featuring tracks from Alex Somers’ weekly birding tours.
