Carsten Höller is an expert in animal behaviour, which is the reason why he uses animals in his installations, taking care of them in the best possible way, to show there are realities different from those of man. Höller claims that observing animals enhances our biophilic tendency, that is, the innate inclination to find connections with nature.

This installation features twelve canaries in two birdcages. In one of the cages there are six Spanish ‘timbrado’ canaries and in the other, six Harz Roller singing canaries. With this piece, the artist wants to monitor animal behaviour. To do so, he uses a balance scale that measures how long the birds in the two birdcages are on the perch. When the scale is balanced, the seating time is identical in both cages, and when there is a deviation from balance position, in one of the cages there will be more birds flying than in the other.

Watch the canaries flying, listen to them singing, and try to identify the two birdsongs. Then draw your own conclusions and make your way through the exhibition.