Björk — who released her mushroom-obsessed 10th album Fossora in 2022 — is collaborating with French artist Aleph to create an immersive, AI sound piece that recreates extinct animal calls.
The piece is set to run at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, from November 20 until December 9. It will play as visitors travel on escalators in the art museum, as part of its "Biodiversity: Which culture for which future?" forum.
In a statement, Björk and Aleph wrote:
We wanted to share [the animals'] presence in an architecture representing the industrial age, far away from nature. In the veins of the escalator of the museum, known as the "caterpillar," we wanted to remind citizens of the raw vitality of endangered creatures. Even though you are restlessly travelling between floors whilst listening to this soundpiece, the tone of animals' voices hopefully builds a sonic bridge towards the listeners. And in the spirit of these animals, in the magic of how they are sensually aligned with their environment, they become our teachers!
The duo collaborated on the words and concept, with Björk writing and composing the music. It was made in partnership with the French sound research institute IRCAM. Last year, she collaborated with Rosalía on "Oral" (one of our favourite songs of 2023), which raised awareness about the harms of Icelandic salmon farming.
Björk also recently announced her Cornucopia tour book.
Information on a related campaign involving Björk and Aleph will apparently follow, according to a joint statement accompanying the piece. You can watch a trailer for the installation below.