Perched on these poles are peculiar birdhouses. These aren’t your typical backyard birdhouses. We are standing before “Warten auf Vögel IV”.
“Warten auf Vögel IV” translates to “Waiting for Birds IV”. This installation is by the artist Josef Bernhardt. It’s part of Vienna’s “Art in Public Spaces” project.
Bernhardt began this series in 2004. It now includes twelve parts. Each “Warten auf Vögel” features birdhouses in different sizes. They also vary in number and arrangement.
These birdhouses stand in the urban space. The 1:1 format suits hole breeders like titmice and starlings. But will birds nest here? It seems unlikely. The close settlement structure feels unnatural. “Warten auf Vögel VII” has 324 houses in an 18 x 18 grid. The surroundings are also very busy.
But who knows? Nature is adaptable. Perhaps a bird will nest here. There are no real tree cavities nearby.
Since 1980, bird populations in European farmlands have declined. They have decreased by 50 percent. Since the 1990s, almost one in eight native bird species is threatened with extinction. “Waiting for Birds” may take on Godot-like dimensions. It may not foster hope.
Bernhardt’s installations do not serve directly as a warning. The percentage of irony is too high. He uses a mix of rational and emotional substances. This illustrates humanity’s absurd relationship with nature.
Bernhardt sometimes makes this relationship clear. He reverses the positions of humans and animals. In “Warten auf Vögel VI,” he enlarged five birdhouses tenfold. Three stood high up, waiting for birds. Two others stood on pedestals with doors. People could enter these. Inside, they could look out through the entry hole. They saw the world from a bird’s perspective.
“Warten auf Vögel IV” lets humans observe from the outside. It gives them plenty of time. Unlike temporary projects like “Warten auf Vögel III”, number IV has a permanent location. It was reinstalled here in 2017.
The City of Vienna’s cultural department maintains this artwork. Josef Bernhardt’s “Warten auf Vögel IV” will be visited by tourists. Maybe not by flocks of birds, but by many people from around the world.