Free as a Bird (should)

Free as a Bird (should) is an installation of 3D hornbills extracted from tourist magnets, alongside remnants in biohazard bags. Inspired by the irony of Sarawak’s official nickname as the Land of Hornbills, and its current lack thereof due to illegal poaching, magnets with their false picturesque scenes of man cohabiting with nature are severed.

Subjecting them through destructive processes using tools reminiscent of the red ivory trade, the hornbill characters are instead being extracted, conserved, and set free on their own. With all other parts sealed away, the work underscore our damaging human presence and activities to biodiversity.

Presented at Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore as part of Ephemera (2022), curated by Adeline Kueh.