Sometime last winter, upon entering his studio, Bo noticed some peculiar marks on one of the paintings he was working on the floor. A mouse seemed to have walked on top of the painting, leaving tiny footprints all over the canvas. The discovery of this seemingly unintentional collaboration planted a seed in Bo’s thoughts for exploring research into non-human collaboration. “The Flight is” a work made in collaboration with birds. On the Rabbijn Maarsenplein behind the Nieuwe Kerk, Bo created an environment for birds to be able and leave their marks. He laid out three types of thin paper and put bricks in the corners of the paper on the streets. He then cracked an egg on top of the papers, trying to get the egg yolk on the center of the paper to mix with a pigment to create an improvised egg-tempera paint – a paint closest to being natural and safe for birds to work with. After adding indigo pigment, it was up to the birds to get to work. Bo scattered a bag of peanuts all around these paper canvasses, making many birds flock around him and work together on the pieces while eating their fill. Pigeons joined in from all over the square and created three unique artworks.

With Pum van de Koppel and Erika Peucelle.