Photo: David von Becker
What does Butimar the bird report from its flight over a future world?
World improvement
The reality of life for many people shows: we are globally connected and on the move around the world due to family, work, and travel reasons. At the same time, climate change and global inequalities call for a change in thinking. Comprehensive solutions to this dilemma are needed. But new rules for more mobility justice cannot simply be negotiated by individual countries. Instead joint action by the world community is required here. But how might alternatives look like? And who is ready for change? Maybe the birds will show us how it can be done: Eurasian Bittern Butimar takes you on a flight over a future world in the exhibition. After all, birds fly and hover over borders and flags and have the freedom to alight wherever they like …
Photo: David von Becker
"Hey, come along with me! On a short flight over the Earth of the future. Things look a lot different when seen from above. At least to me, when I glide over them. Oh, I should start by introducing myself: Hola, günaydın, shalom and habari? My name is Butimar and I am a bird – a Botaurus stellaris, or, in English, a Eurasian Bittern.
When I cruise between so many greened skyscrapers and play with people’s robot bees, I then notice: a lot of things have already changed in recent years. And, I do like these humans, but they need a really long time to start thinking in a new way about the world as their home and to actually start shaking things up.
They like to constantly exceed the natural boundaries of their species, to even leave the Earth behind them to travel into outer space. But, at the same time, they’ve also divided the Earth up amongst themselves and say to each other: ‘This here is our home, and that over there is yours.’ I mean, as a bird, I fly and hover over borders and flags and have the freedom to alight wherever I like. Why do human beings make everything so complicated?
In principle, people are able to learn. At least there’s now this new passport that allows everyone to cross borders and move freely. That’s a first positive step. But, unfortunately, I hear not only enthusiasm, but also doubts and fears, like: ‘I’m supposed to share my money and my job with people I don’t even know.’ So I just fly on and think to myself: then simply get to know them. I fly further and further over the landscape, over huge algae plantations and solar-powered settlements, and I hear: ‘Finally! No one is a foreigner anymore, no one is native anymore, and everyone is becoming middle class.’ But others cry: ‘No country, no culture, no food, no sights, and no festival or sausage is special anymore.’
So, if you ask me: Let the birds have their turn. Let’s tackle the roots of it all! Onwards and upwards, a cosmopolitan plural, lots of the transnational. More rights to rights, for all living things and bodies! Don’t forget the nuts and balls, and, in any case: less work, less identification. Otherwise we’ll just go in circles – ta da: stagnation. And with that: Adiós out there, До свидания, sayōnara, and bye-bye."