41 aluminum plates, copper wire, 17 germanium diodes, charcoal, salt and sound system
With the development of the telegraph and the rise of radio in the early 20th century, carrier pigeons were rendered obsolete. After centuries of heavy domestication, these birds were released, eventually adapting to the urban environment. This cultural extinction fundamentally shifted public perception, turning them from valued companions into an urban nuisance.
In July 2025 at the Largo da Glória in Rio de Janeiro, I came across forty-one dead pigeons scattered across the square. Someone had fed them poisoned corn, but the perpetrator was never identified.
Moved by this sight, I decided to create a memorial for these forty-one pigeons, an installation that would "speak", inspired by the sensitivity they once possessed. Radio, the very technology that displaced them over a century ago, is what I used to capture the invisible electromagnetic fields that permeate our everyday environment. Forty-one antennas, connected with copper wire and germanium diodes, convert these surrounding radio frequencies directly into sound.
The device captures all electromagnetic field energy around it, creating a dynamic web of interaction. When spectators approach, their presence alters the field around the antennas, directly influencing the output. External natural events shape the noise as well. The installation can evidently sense various radio signals but also storms occurring kilometers away, functioning as a highly sensitive apparatus capable of detecting and communicating the arrival of large meteorological phenomena.