“they were here”

Addie Wagenknecht recently spoke at UT about her digital and ecological projects. Her piece tilted “they were here” connected with me the most. It was installed at Clement Clarke Moore Park, 22nd St. and 10th Ave. in NYC during April 2008. The content of her installation came from a recent Audubon Society report from NYC the states “20 species of birds are declining at a rate of 68 percent”. I appreciated her simple way of showing this by placing static two-dimensional white birds into trees around the park. Instead of the text with the statistics about declining bird populations you can see the ghost birds standing in for their missing friends. I wonder how the resident birds responded to their ghosts silhouettes? I also wonder if the residents that have lived in the area have noticed a decries in local birds.

I have scene the white ghost concept to be an effective form in other styles of public street art. The international “Ghost Bike” project paints bicycles white and sets them up where bicycle riders have been killed. The white bikes are very striking and have increased awareness to bicycle deaths and street safety. Friends and family of the lost bikers often add flowers, text, and objects to remember the lost loved one.