Anne Geene and Arjan de Nooy at Natural History Museum Rotterdam

Solo exhibition Ornithology

On view from 6 February until 5 July, 2016

The exhibition Ornithology can be seen in the Natural History Museum Rotterdam, with unique observations from the bird kingdom recorded by the photo lenses of Anne Geene and Arjan de Nooy. Organized according to the themes Camouflage, Bird geometry, In flight, Speed, Ostrich politics and Group dynamics, the exhibition is not only a photographic study of birds but also a bird excursion in photography. Ornithology is the science that studies the physiology, classification, ecology and behavior of birds. Due to their omnipresence and often colorful appearances, birds are a popular subject of both study and art – and photography in particular. With their pseudo-scientific approach, hunter-gatherers Geene and De Nooy explore the boundaries between these disciplines and add a layer that is usually absent in both bird art and bird science: humor. The eponymous book of the project was published by de HEF publishers.

Their classifications are a comical result of creative and associative thinking, with a refreshing look at birds in every photo. The arrangement that they apply appears to be copied from an ornithological standard work. But, as is often the case with their work, they use the scientific method to create an artistic microcosm that is just like its scientific counterpart. Geene and De Nooy manifest themselves as strange ducks in the world of bird photography, dominated by people with a “classical” aesthetic look. Many birds in their photos are dead, others are representations, but nesting materials and bird droppings are also shown. With “Ornithology” bird art enters a new area.