Pigeon City: A Re-imagining of the Urban Environment Through a More-Than-Human Lens

Abstract

In this practice-led research, I challenge the traditional human-centric perspective on urban environments by examining the dynamic relationship between human and non-human species. Guided by an anti-anthropocentric paradigm, I explore how we might differently understand and experience urban spaces through the unique perspective of the Pigeon. This project delves into the symbiotic interplay between the Pigeon and human inhabitants of the city, aiming to disrupt conventional urban narratives and modes of inhabitation. Drawing on Situationist methodologies and employing a ‘Pigeon-phenomenology’, I utilise absurdist interventions, sculptural practice, and ephemeral publications to subvert human-centric viewpoints. Central to this investigation is recognising Pigeons as integral city-dwellers with agency and purpose. By embracing a more-than-human perspective, I endeavour to unveil hidden dimensions of urban existence and rekindle the relationship between past companions, the Pigeon and the Human.