The pigeon: a sacred war hero, a disease-carrying flying rat, an ultra-intelligent pattern recogniser and navigator, but also a superfluous, filthy pest and plague. Our opinion shifts rather quickly, but the bottom line is that we view this animal with an increasingly negative outlook. The pigeon deserves better than this.

The contrast between all these names and meanings reveals how quickly appreciation can turn as soon as something loses its immediate function for us, humans. What was once carefully bred, utilised and domesticated is today judged primarily on its ‘too’ functionless presence in our shared urban space. This raises the question of when something is allowed to acquire meaning and how that relates to the demand for efficiency. Efficiency and yield are currently central to our society, and value is often equated here with direct utility. That value is not something fixed, just as everything the pigeon has stood for—or could still stand for—is not fixed.The pigeon was and is our friend, our fellow resident. This is an ode to the pigeon, which simply exists and claims its place without it being assigned to it.

Through colourful drawings and embroidered works, I depict pigeons in playful, funny and light-hearted scenes. By portraying them in this way, I hope to make our view of the pigeon more positive and cheerful.

Love Pigeons!