When I first saw Forgotten Songs by Michael Thomas Hill, I was
struck by the beauty of the image. Watching all those empty
bird-cages hanging over the street I automatically start hearing
the sound of birds in my head, even though it isn’t there. The
image is so strong, the installation doesn’t need sound. I was
slightly disappointed when I found out the artist doesn’t leave
it up to our imagination - it actually does make sound. There is
a message though: the fifty birds that can be heard in this
installation in Sidney, used to live there. But habitat loss is
credited as the biggest threat to bird survival. The birds that
can be heard in Forgotten Songs were forced out of the city by
European settlers. At night, the sounds change to those of
nocturnal birds. Via My Modern Met