Will We Disappear in the Cover of the Sky ? 

Project Info +
Project: Independent Research Project ( Royal College of Art )
Team Members: Aarti Bhalekar & Anushka Khemka

Will We Disappear in the Cover of the Sky? (2024) is the second chapter in a series about the current landscape of avian ecology in the UK. The experimental film invites the visitor to traverse through different landscapes from an urban park to the higher altitudes of open skies. A more-than-human perspective emerges as a starling narrates an account of the challenges brought about by rapidly growing human activities, especially a change in starlings’ wayfinding, nesting, and foraging opportunities.

Umwelt is the part of an animal’s surroundings that it can sense and experience - its perceptual world. A manifestation of anthropomorphism is the tendency to forget about other umwelten. Can a new mode of thinking emerge through understanding the umwelt of a starling? Can translating vivid sensory information via digital technologies induce a sense of biophilia? 

According to RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, the average count of starlings in the UK has decreased by 82% since 1979. We hope to inspire action to protect these vital species.

The film was screened at Outernet from 23rd to 26th September in their Now Pop One space.

Softwares used: Unreal Engine, Premiere Pro, Ableton