In a world where fewer and fewer real birds fly over our daily lives, CyberBird 1.0 is there to fill that void, replacing natural birdsong with artificial responses. As a comment on the human need to control our surroundings, CyberBird 1.0 sings only in response to what we sing to it. What’s more, it doesn’t leave rubbish behind or build nests on the edges of houses.
At its premiere, it was presented in a lyrical interaction with singer Maria Pavonis, the result of which can be seen in the video below.
CyberBird 1.0 consists of software developed in PureData, which receives sound from a microphone connected to a Raspberry Pi, processes it and responds with an artificial song that imitates the rhythm and melodic contour of the sound it receives.
In addition to this performative and satirical context, it also has applications in workshops with people with no musical literacy, allowing them to create a musical dialogue with an interactive object.
Developed in 2019 in partnership with Companhia de Música Teatral, which holds the image rights to the photos and videos included here.