WHIN WOHER ROTSCHNABELWETZER

The larch is said to have a magical aura and a protective function. In ancient Rome, the “lares” were even the protective ancestors of the home. In the shade of a larch tree, we built a colony of birdhouses for the imaginary migratory red-billed wether. Where are they flying to? Where are you from? The geographical location of the Binntal points to the north-south axis, an axis that today is reminiscent of the dramatic migration of peoples before the consequences of colonialism. And the Valais mountain villages like Binn look like colonies. The shape of the nest colony echoes the typology of clustered villages. They are signs of occupation and refuge at the same time, expressing a relationship with nature that is both defensive and nomadic. The red-billed wether’s birdhouses or bird nesting boxes speak of migration and colonies, of protection and occupation and ultimately of a precarious, fragile existence. And from the imagination, the only one that can answer the question: Where did Red-billed Wetzer come from?

The bird nesting boxes were built by people who were affected by their own migration, an impairment or a precarious living situation. We were able to work with children from Binntal to paint it. The bird nesting boxes were built according to the recommended standards of specialist agencies, hung up and will be raffled off among interested bird lovers on the Ernen village square on Thanksgiving Day on October 12, 2024, so that the houses can find a new location and create space for new birds.