Civic pigeon

2021

This action was related to a reflection on how the public space of the city is usually represented as a neutral space in which territorial conflicts, deep inequalities, violences and social exclusions are reduced to a problem of civility, that is, of having a “correct” behavior and good manners. I used the image of the pigeon because it is an animal that inhabits the urban, and is often considered untidy and ugly. Wearing a pigeon mask in a public space in Medellín, I read a book titled “Civility” on the cover, accompanied by a photo of a dirty and disgusting pigeon, next to a white dove, the peace symbol, along with the words “before” and “after.” The book contained the text “The public animal” by Manuel Delgado.