Installationview Nische

pigeon baby

latex, tin, acrylic glass, wadding

Potpuri

detail; gypsum

glazed ceramic

Sociologist Colin Jerolmack argues that the aversion to pigeons results less from their supposed uncleanliness than from the disruption of the idealized urban order. The pigeon contradicts the image of a clean, sterilized metropolis in which nature is tamed and pushed out of sight. It claims and conquers spaces that humans have reserved for themselves - visibly, in broad daylight. Unlike rats and cockroaches, which remain hidden, the pigeon lives openly in the busiest urban zones, breaking the illusion of control and order.

In the Spiegelsaal, an artistic intervention unfolds that makes this unease tangible. The hall, with its magnificent stucco work depicting regional symbols such as the Carinthian coat of arms and the Lindwurm, is enhanced by a new perspective. Eva Funk has adapted a large plaster relief to the size of an apparently empty space on the wall, thus finding a subtle response to the historical context of the room. Instead of floral ornaments and other heraldic elements, a flock of pigeons cavort here. The birds' bodies merge into one another and “glitches”, i.e. distortions, become visible. This almost monstrous-looking body draws attention to the ambiguous and human view of the cultural successors.

Eva Funk often works with the historical and cultural contexts of different places to create installations and interventions that reflect and challenge these contexts. In the Hall of Mirrors, she combines traditional and contemporary elements to create a dialog about the relationship between humans and nature. Her works challenge viewers to re-evaluate the often overlooked aspects of their urban environment and to confront the question of who really owns the city. She succeeds in commenting on the often overlooked aspects of life and explores the ambivalence between care and control, instinct and manipulation through these human-animal relationships.

By the way: other birds also have many different names for their vocalizations. Ächzen, however, is something only the pigeon does besides humans.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Installation, artistic intervention

Spiegelsaal, Kärntner Landesregierung

Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Kärnten

2024