Birds I wouldn't have heard is a 90-minute multichannel video and sound installation commissioned by Science Gallery London for the 2019 exhibition Spare Parts. It makes use of sound, video and still imagery collected as part of the Transplant and Life project at the Hunterian Museum in 2017. My collaborative partner Tim Wainwright died from pancreatic cancer shortly after we were commissioned by the Science Gallery, and I completed the work myself after discussions with him in his final days.
This work conveys the impact of disease and organ transplantation on the daily lives and identity of recipients, live donors, and those on the waiting list. It weaves still and moving images, voice and field recordings to explore the breadth and depth of emotions and experiences encountered while the artists were in-residence at the Royal Free and Harefield Hospitals, both world-leading centres for organ transplants.
