Try on accesories full of gravel, peek into the glamorous feather dance and take a sip of a preparation cocktail to endure the long hours of standing still!
In the framework of NS2022, the Danube Transformation Agency for Agency took a deep dive into what it would mean to provide their bodies to the survival and needs of another species. Together with local beach goers, the team explored the question of “How to become an island?” for a Danubian bird species – the Little Ringed Plover.
For decades the Danubian River banks were shaped for the needs of humans alone. The regulation of the river promised control – for the production of power and for the prevention of flooding. But this did not serve all critters equally well, including the Little Ringed Plover. The loss of habitats due to river regulations made the birds’ population decline.
The rapid loss of biodiversity seems so often left over to – at its best – scientists – at its worst – destiny. Devastations like these feel often too big and irreversible to handle. By proposing to provide your body parts to the bird, DTAFA asks which role the individual could take in an age of ecological crisis and what embodying the restoration of the bird’s habitant would mean.
Within the 10-day program visitors and beachgoers were invited to get to know the bird better and to join our explorations in becoming a resting, mating and breeding ground for this migratory bird during their seasonal stay in Novi Sad. Additionally, the program was supported with special events that provided the audience a chance to read out love letters to the bird and to sing along to some special Karaoke songs in order to express affection for the Little Ringed Plover with the DTAFA team.
