Objects of the Almost-Bird
–
Maria Serra Gil
–
Maria Serra Gil
Birds live among us. Close, yet rarely noticed. Unlike pets, which we tend to humanize, or
livestock, which we mostly encounter through function, birds occupy a quieter space in our daily environments. They are fleeting, observant, rhythmic. This work invites us to attune to
them not by watching, but by doing. Objects of the Almost-Bird explores how design can shift human perception through objects inspired by the gestures, behaviours, and presences of
birds.
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The objects presented here are not representations, nor tools in the conventional sense. They are proposals for interaction: things to be worn, touched, moved with. Each one is grounded in a specific aspect of bird life: a gesture, a posture, a pattern of relating. Brushes to groom, feathers to peck, feet to balance on, or to practice stillness.
Through these embodied experiences, the project asks: Can we relate differently to the other-than-human world by engaging with the ways other beings sense and move? Can feeling closer guide us toward empathy, curiosity, or care?
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Materially rooted in craft and experimentation, the project brings together ceramic, textile, and wood — materials chosen for their tactile immediacy, familiarity, and responsiveness to the body. Craft here becomes a way of shaping attention: inviting visitors to explore and engage at their own pace; not to imitate birds, but to briefly step into a different mode of being.
Welcome to a space for noticing, for moving differently, for sensing with attention.
![]()
The objects presented here are not representations, nor tools in the conventional sense. They are proposals for interaction: things to be worn, touched, moved with. Each one is grounded in a specific aspect of bird life: a gesture, a posture, a pattern of relating. Brushes to groom, feathers to peck, feet to balance on, or to practice stillness.
Through these embodied experiences, the project asks: Can we relate differently to the other-than-human world by engaging with the ways other beings sense and move? Can feeling closer guide us toward empathy, curiosity, or care?
Materially rooted in craft and experimentation, the project brings together ceramic, textile, and wood — materials chosen for their tactile immediacy, familiarity, and responsiveness to the body. Craft here becomes a way of shaping attention: inviting visitors to explore and engage at their own pace; not to imitate birds, but to briefly step into a different mode of being.
Welcome to a space for noticing, for moving differently, for sensing with attention.
