ALOFT: AT HOME WITH THE DUTCH HEN AND OTHERS
Sally Penfold | Mixed Media Window Installation

The small films in ‘Aloft’ offer a private glimpse into the home life of long-distance racing pigeons. With the human element absent we are freed from pejorative terms such as ‘rats with wings’ and ‘vermin’. The fixed rolling camera allows us to observe intimately a group of young birds at rest, an elite team bred to win – at the very start of their racing careers.

Each bird finds refuge within the confines of their pigeonhole, an isolating space that emphasises every movement and change of position.
Touchingly, their social interactions, bonds of friendship, monogamous relationships, clashes of personality and prevailing pecking order reflect our own group mentality.

Be kind to pigeons.