Global Dialogue Program
Around the World in Eighty Birds
Capturing the iridescence of a rainbow, a peacock’s tail — Nature’s extravaganza — synthesizes heaven and earth. As birds fly across continents and oceans navigating with their inbuilt sextant and compass, the aesthetic poetry of their ascension and descension links the celestial and the terrestrial.
The Greek word for birds, ornis, is also the word for an omen. Poets, from Homer to Mary Oliver, often use the mystery of birds and their perfect sound image to evoke particular places and moods. The high-pitched wavering trills that are part of the ritual act of female ululation recalls the sobbing notes of a nightingale’s standard repertoire.
Exotic curiosity in captive collections, culinary luxury, commercial resources, symbolic icons in religion, music, dance, art and literature : the significance of birds moves one from the emotions of happy recognition to deep puzzlement. Puzzlement, as Socrates insisted, is a necessary precondition to better understanding.
We will journey from a welter of superstitions and dubious folklore to feats of architecture and biomimicry that have inspired Icarus, Hitchcock, Casals, van Gogh and designers of the Shinkansen, the Japanese bullet train. On June 30, we warmly welcome you to the beautiful world of avians.
Presenter: The Nourishment Projects© - Soma Roy (IWA member)
