HÖRNER/ANTLFINGER & CMUK
Dollhouse for Dinosaurs, 2021
Architectural model, branches, books, photographies, fabric, wood, steel, sound, legend on the origin of the materials, 240 x 175 x 116 cm
Long before humans entered the world stage, birds were already singing and dancing, building their nests and raising their young. Birds are not only the descendants of the dinosaurs, they are the survivors of the dinosaurs.
We have been living with parrots for more than 20 years, which may seem long or short, depending on the viewpoint we take. For this work we have provided our companions with a model of our common apartment. Here, the intrusion of the anarchic into human ideal concepts of dwelling manifests itself. Traces of the birds’ creation can be found on windows, doors and even walls. Shredded magazines, cork crumbs, wood splinters covering the floor testify to the power of their beaks and their desire to shape what we already believed to be shaped. An audio recording inside the model gives an idea of the power and perseverance with which our companions tackle rectangular spaces; spaces that could also look quite different – more fragile, more permeable and, in the best sense, more insecure, as Gordon Matta Clark once claimed.
The materials used in Dollhouse for Dinosaurs largely come from our shared apartment. From remnants of the parquet floor we put aside when we moved in, to tiles, photographs from our everyday life together, and substances that come from our bodies. A map with a legend provides information about the origin, status and meaning of the objects that rest on and under the parquet.
images © Hörner/Antlfinger & CMUK