Björk & Aleph
Nature Manifesto
Immersive sound piece presented as part of the forum "Biodiversity: which culture for which future ?"
from November 20 to December 9, 2024
it is an emergency
the apocalypse has already happened
and how we will act now is essential
after the mass extinction
we will start anew
our old comfort is gone
we will parade with mutated crickets in glowing radio-active harvests
migrate with wildebeests
amongst endangered orangutans
a new world
with an emergence of assemblages
and rhizomatic entanglements
with the altered voice of a beluga
and a dna-morphed seal
we will settle in sound fields of mosquitoes
we will find sensory reci-procity
in all ecological connective tissues
in a pioneering sound-strata
of mutant peacocks, bees, and lemurs
biology will reassemble in new ways
and micro-organisms will mate with other life-forms to heal and adapt
in fruiting bodies
and fields of sensory information
the web of life will unfold into a world of new solutions
as basalt columns absorb carbon
or as a lyrebird becomes a chainsaw
life wins
with or without us
after plagues and pandemics
there will be new modes of existence
of weaving our bodies into relations with our surroundings
of decomposing our old ways of life
and escape the feedback loop
with metabolic ingenuity
the howl of our biological ancestry
repossessed by animal spirits
we remedy lost bird calls
out of niche-replacements
amongst a tapestry of beings
a new bio-diversity is reached
we will terraform the planet
in a deep morpho-genesis
from an animist volcanic island
we will revel at doppler-effect dolphins speeding by
unseen wonders blooming
hyphean enigmatic entities
the memory of our genes
will form a call to action
mold a new paris climate accord
this time reachable
reach
let's reach it
Conceived as a post-optimistic manifesto on nature, this sound piece by Björk and Aleph addresses the unprecedented loss of biodiversity and the collapse of ecosystems. The work combines Björk’s voice, reading her manifesto, with the cries of extinct or endangered animals, harmonized with natural soundscapes. Envisioning a future where the resilience of biology forms new combinations in nature, the work gives voice to silent nature, transforming its quietude into sound and resonating within our collective imagination.
Concept Björk & Aleph
In collaboration with Robin Meier Wiratunga and Bergur Þórisson
Words written by Björk & Aleph
Music written and composed by Björk
Björk is published by Kobalt Music Ltd
Commissioned by Centre Pompidou
Coproduction: Centre Pompidou, IRCAM
With the financial support from The French Biodiversity Agency (OFB)
In partnership with d&b audiotechnik and Southby
Find out more about the "Biodiversity Forum" programme
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#ForumBiodiversité