Title: Hawks and Doves by artist Nigel Milsom
Production: Clare Lewis (project curator)
Screened: large-scale projection onto ABC Building, Sydney, evenings from 5pm July 2007
‘Hawks and Doves’ is a dark, poetic vision of urban life and a mesmerising story of adaptation and survival. This video projection unraveled some of the mystery behind the Peregrine Falcon, the enigmatic raptor commonly described as ‘the urban falcon’ who survives on city vermin and roosts in skyscrapers. Every night throughout July 2007 at sunset, a ghostly, carnal scene unfolded on the ABC Building in Sydney’s CBD. Conventionally a painter, Milsom’s video portrayed a delicate translation of man’s urban construct. Using footage leached from the video-sharing site, YouTube, Milsom mirrors the hunter gatherer tendencies of the Falcon through his ‘nesting’ filmic process. I commissioned the artist to produce the work for our 2007 program, sourced the equipment, secured the venue, funding and sponsorship for the project, coordinated the editing and final presentation of the work. This project was presented in partnership with the University of Technology, Sydney.
clare lewis 