Following The Green Parakeet

The research proposes a reflection on the topic of migration. This reflection is inspired by the question that Holden in the book written by J.D. Salinger “The Catcher in the Rye” asks himself: “Where do the ducks go in winter when the lake freezes in Central Park?”. The research is divided into three sections. The first section introduces the general topic of migration, understood as a shift of entities and climates. Furthermore, the section refers to scientific studies such as those proposed by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and by researches such as “Landscape Migration” by Brett Milligan. Through the understanding of migration as a cultural phenomenon, capable to modify ecosystems, the qualitative character of migration is then introduced and understood as a movement through time and space. The research takes into consideration the migration of entities, specifically of trans-Saharan migratory birds. These birds are the most studied beings in science and are also considered the first indicators of change. In fact, more than all other species of animals and birds, they are susceptible to the phenomenon of accelerated migration (to name a few: increased temperatures and light pollution, water bombs and use of intensive agriculture). This study on animal migration is part of a context of established scientific research. In 2017, James Cheshire and Oliver Uberti published the book "Where the Animals Go", which depicts fifty maps of the movement of different animal species. In 2009, the Sea Duck Joint Venture (SDJV) launched a large-scale satellite telemetry study of sea ducks in the Atlantic Flyway to document sea duck distribution, migration patterns, and seasonal habitats used. The theoretical and spatial understanding of the phenomenon of bird migration provides the basis to reveal and highlight a relationship between humans and animals that otherwise would not be visible. The migrations of trans-Saharan birds are movements that take place from north to south. They start from Northern Europe and overwinter in Northern Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Along this route, most of the migratory species stop in some areas that are along their way. Italy is at the center of this migration because it is traveled from north to south by migrant birds. In particular, the region of Sicily represents a fundamental territory for the stopover of trans-Saharan migratory species because it is the last territory available before their journey towards Africa. For this reason, the research examines Sicily as a case study and in particular the area of the city of Gela and its surroundings. Gela has been identified as a stopover by means of the E-bird software produced by the Cornell University, and represents one of the most important areas of Sicily in terms of concentration of migratory species. The Biviere di Gela is therefore a protected oasis of the WWF. In sections II and III, the final aim of the research is explained through the proposal of a competition notice for an open-air exhibition. The aim of the research is to highlight the passage, the persistence and the disappearance of birds in the territory of Gela. In this context, the expedient of the open-air exhibition was considered the most appropriate to represent the phenomenon of migration in its complexity. Moreover, the objective is to reveal the presence and absence of these birds that are slowly changing the ecosystem of the territory. For this reason, the exhibition is meant to be temporary and takes place in two moments of the year (summer and winter), when birds are not present. Section II, presented as if it were a competition notice, set both the terms and the guidelines, while section III collects a series of opinions of artists and designers on the development of the exhibition. In conclusion, if on the one hand the final goal of the thesis is to overcome the anthropocentric vision of the territory, highlighting the relationship that man and the territory have with other animal species, on the other hand the research wants to show the complexity of phenomena that occur during the presence and absence of birds.