April in Paris

Camac is an organisation in the rural village of Marnay-sur-Seine in France that hosts an artist residency programme, with the aim to bring together artists from all countries and disciplines in mid or advanced career stages.

I have been offered the opportunity to complete an artist residency at Camac, between 1 – 30 April 2011.

The residency will be used as an opportunity for research and development into the pigeon post into Paris during 1870- 1871.  As part of this investigation I will visit the 11 pigeon contraception houses and Post Museum based in Paris, as well as interview residents and those that continue to break the law by stealthily feeding pigeons at night when no one is looking. Previous research into pigeon intelligence, pigeon fancying and Project Pigeonwatch (a project started in Oct 2010 to capture data on feral pigeon numbers and colour morphs), will act as a catalyst for experimental work in the studio environment of Camac.

The residency will mark a development in my practice as a sound artist by using contact microphones (to record vibrations, for example- bird footsteps, rather than air pressure), hydrophones (to record under water sound) and a parabolic dish, specifically designed for capturing bird song and other wildlife.

Camac gallery and studios. Image courtesy of vingtparismagazine.com