Bye Bye Birdies is a joint collaboration between artists Matyou Galea and Aaron Bezzina. The concept for this collaboration was born after a conversation centred around the lack of bird song in Malta.
The artists created a site-specific, interactive installation using sound, sculpture and light combined in one work. The sound consists of bird song.
A sculptural object consisting of two human hands is the kinetic component
However, these are not songs which were recorded in nature, but recordings of a person who imitates 91 samples of 35 different bird species. The resulting sound is a blend of human and animal elements.
A sculptural object consisting of two human hands is the kinetic component of the installation. The hands are positioned within the range of a light shaft. Once the viewer/listener moves them, a light sensor is triggered. This, in turn, starts the bird songs.
The title of the work was inspired by the eponymous musical that was turned into a film featuring Janet Leigh, Dick Van Dyke and Ann-Margret.
Bye Bye Birdies runs until January 30 at Architecture Projects, Valletta. The exhibition inaugurates a collaboration between Michael P. Bock and Architecture Projects under the name MB.AP.