Wingspan of a heart

2017. Installation

The male bowerbird collects plastic objects in order to impress the female. It clears the ground and piles up twigs in the center of the arena. It carefully arranges the twigs, and around them objects from his collection. It hopes that the female will patiently appreciate his stage design and dance.*

Grape-kun the penguin was living in a zoo in Japan. One day they placed near him a cardboard outline of an anthropomorphic animé heroine reminiscent of a female penguin. Grape-kun observes her hours on end. After spending a long time in contemplation he falls in love with her. He starts spending his entire days courting her with the dance of love.

The situation of Nigel the bird is just as special. Twenty years ago, a group of environmentalists in New Zealand placed 80 concrete birds on Mana Island in an attempt to attract sea birds. Only one made its appearance in 2015. This bird, which came to be called Nigel, spent its entire life in efforts to court the artificial concrete bird.

A strange example is the lyrebird, a great imitator of sounds from a chainsaw to the shutter of a camera.

Valko Chobanov's project investigates how human presence changes the behavior of birds through the medium of video art created from found content from the Internet. The author is interested in the performative element of the birds' behavior in their courting rituals. His installation includes video and objects.

* The collecting ritual of these birds before the era of plastic materials is not known to us.

Bio

Вълко Чобанов е роден в Пловдив през 1991 Работи в сферата на живописта, видео арта и пърформънса. "Често работя с природни, органични и животински образи, чужди и интернет култури, субкултури, пост-апокалиптични образи и сънища. Интересно ми е какво хората изтриват, изхвърлят, а и споделят от личното си пространство. В известен смисъл често рециклирам образи чрез разнообразни материали, най-често открити и взети на готово."