Artist Has Birds Rocking at London Gallery

Rock music has gone to the birds at a London art gallery—literally. An installation by French artist Celeste Boursier-Mougenot pairs 40 zebra finches with Les Paul electric guitar resting places and cymbal feeders, and invites visitors to hear the result. “What you hear could be an experimental rock band, or a band warming up,” the exhibit’s curator tells the BBC.

“Some interesting sound can come from the fact that it is not intended,” the Barbican arts center curator continues. “Celeste talks about his one-year-old son who plays with his daughter's electrical guitar and makes some interesting noise from it.” The artist does exercise some control, adding reverb and echo, and tuning the guitars to his liking. “The sound varies quite a bit,” the curator says, and “the birds obviously take flight if people get too close.” (More Zebra finch stories.)