The Knocking Bird

A bird came knocking on the window on a fine day, disrupting the sleep.

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According to superstition, bird knocking on the window can bring important news; sometimes symbolising a death is going to occur in the house. The bird has a message for us and wants us to stop and listen to it.

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In reality, this commonly happens when territorial birds try to aggressively defend their perceived territory. Unfortunately, they do not realise that they are attacking their own reflection on the outside of the window. The incessant pecking noise resulted from this pointless fight against its own reflection builds up a tension within the person trying to continue sleeping.

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The two-channel video expresses the struggles of life; specifically, the internal struggles we face due to external circumstances. The bird fighting against its own reflection while we perceive only the sounds, while tension builds up inside the blanket while we never get to see what goes on within. The bird’s pecking against its phantom foe and the sleeper’s inability to maintain a peace of mind pit them in an endless struggle against themselves, a struggle that begins and can only end from within.