People tend to interpret natural phenomena through their own values and use this value-loaded version of nature as a justification for those said values. For example, the dove has been considered a symbol of loyalty and romantic love because of its long-lasting pair bonds, on the basis of which marriage and the nuclear family have been seen as natural. Why then haven’t people considered the slutty dunnock a symbol of polyamory, or the seagull of lesbianism?
On the Queer Bird Walk, you will observe and listen to the birds in the nearby nature and get to know how the general concepts of “natural” and ways of looking are built around cis and hetero norms. Your guide on the trip is Camille Auer.
The language of the trip is Finnish on September 13, 20 and 21 and English on September 14.
Camille Auer is a trans-disciplinary artist and writer. Her art practice has always been theory driven, but instead of illustrating existing theories, she uses forms ranging from sound, moving image, performance and text-based installations to contribute to theoretical discourse as modes of thinking in their own right. A common theme in her diverse body of work is the othering of trans and nonhuman bodies, such as herself or queer birds. Her work has been shown and published in The Finnish Museum of Photography (Helsinki), Wäinö Aaltonen Museum (Turku) and Atlas Arts (Skye, Scotland) among others. Her work is currently supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
First Bird Walk’s were organised in May. The walk is part of Camille Auer’s background work on her performance Ruff Knowledge. Ruff Knowledge will be performed on November 22, 24 and 25 in Kanneltalo as part of Baltic Circle Theatre Festival’s programme. The performance is made possible by funding from the Finnish Cultural Foundation and Arts Promotion Centre Finland.