A Flock Without a Murder
Bureau Spectacular & Kyle May, Architect
Timber, hardwood
30 in. × 30 in. × 12 ft.
Aster Field in the Plant Family Collection
A Flock Without a Murder rethinks the relationship between crows and scarecrows—what is seen by one bird species as a warning can be seen by others as a safe haven. This birdhouse, standing 12 feet tall, towers over the human viewer. “The scarecrow is a structure that allows us to talk to other species, like crows,” says artist Jimenez Lai. “It’s a conversation between humans and nonhumans.”
-
Jimenez Lai (b. 1979, Taiwan) lived in a desert shelter at Taliesin and later a shipping container on the piers of Rotterdam before founding Bureau Spectacular. His first book, Citizens of No Place (Princeton Architectural Press), was supported by the Graham Foundation. MoMA, SFMOMA, Art Institute of Chicago, and LACMA have collected his work.
Artist website: bureau‑spectacular.net
Instagram: @0super @_bureauspectacularKyle May (b. 1984, U.S.) is a registered architect and founded his Brooklyn-based firm, Kyle May, Architect PC, in 2014. He is a Graham Grant recipient for his research on Wallace Harrison and has coedited 20 books and curated exhibitions including one at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Artist website: kylemayarchitect.com
Listen
Wounded Bird
Kurt Vile
This recording from The Birdsong Project was selected to complement this birdhouse.