Tumble is a generative multi-channel audio installation for carrier pigeons. During September and October 2011 racing pigeons were resident on the roof of the Pigeon Wing gallery in South London. During the two weeks that the installation ran in the gallery space pigeons were fitted with GPS tracking devices and released from various locations around city and flying back to their loft above the space.
The flight routes tracked by GPS formed the musical structure of a piece with the coordinates of their flight defining which audio material was triggered. This material was comprised of recordings from the gallery roof, heard in quad.
Scores were constructed by the artist from resultant audio output, thereby giving a 'score' of the bird’s performance in retrospect. A CCTV camera linked the gallery roof, which housed the pigeon loft, to the exhibition space.
In addition to the installation there were a screenings of documentaries on pigeon culture.
