The Bird Project

This project is a complex mix of photography, urban intervention, ornithology and storytelling. When exhibited it can include images, video, a custom made soundscape and text.

The core of the project is the documentation of hand cut photographs depicting birds in natural size,  wheat-pasted on walls in cities around the world.

Another part of the project is Berglins extensive research on how birds have impacted human history. For example how the variation of finches on the Galapagos convinced Darwin that he was right about his theory of evolution. Another story explains how the French inventor Etienne Jules Marey’s desire to capture birds in mid air, prompted him to create the first motion camera in 1886. Some texts are factual, others based on hearsay, like the myth about the Spanish conquistador Hérnan Cortez. It is said that he colonized the American continent with the help of the sacred feathers from the rare Mexican bird Pharomachrus Auriceps, commonly known as the Golden-headed quetzal.

Over the years 5179 different images of birds have been placed in cities on five continents: Gothenburg (2006), Berlin (2007), Tel Aviv (2008), Casablanca (2009), New York (2010), Reykjavik (2011), Madrid (2012), Malmö (2013), Rio de Janeiro (2014), Buenos Aires (2015), London (2016) Stockholm (2017), Copenhagen (2023) and Oslo (2023).

The project is inspired by the monumental book: Birds of America by the ornithologist John James Audubon. Originally printed and published between 1827-1838, Birds of America contains life-size watercolours of North American birds, all reproduced from hand-engraved plates. Since Audubon wanted to depict the birds in their natural size, each page measures 100×70 cm. As an homage, Berglin also made a monumental book with the same measurements as Audubon’s. It contains 60 images, weighs 21 kilos and comes with a custom made podium.

Selected documentation from shows at Vasli Souza Gallery (Oslo), Thomassen Gallery (Gothenburg), Copenhagen Photo Festival, Center for Photography (Stockholm), Gustavsberg Photopark, Nordic Light Festival (Kristiansund), Ronneby Konsthall.