SIEGEN.- Birds exert a strong attraction on people. They embody freedom, transcendence, speed and power. The kings of the skies were revered by many cultures as heavenly messengers. There has always been religious, economic, political or scientific interest in the world of birds. They provide us with deeper insights into our world. Birds connect habitats and accompany biological processes. They contribute to the ecosystem and their mere presence in public spaces promotes human well-being.

Based on artistic positions and works from the collections of the Museum für Gegenwartskunst Siegen, “For the Birds” examines the significance of birds in various contexts. It is an exhibition for seeing and hearing. Incorporating a wide variety of media, the works on display link ecological, philosophical, social and political issues. The exhibition is dedicated to the cultural relevance of birds in contemporary artistic narrative spaces.

With contributions by Heba Y. Amin, Yuri Ancarani, Anna Boghiguian, David Claerbout, Chto Delat International, Dominik Eulberg, FORT, Petrit Halilaj & Álvaro Urbano, Anna Jermolaewa, Annika Kahrs, Katia Kameli, Maria Lassnig, Jochen Lempert, Katja Novitskova, Peter Piller, Marianna Simnett, Prateek Vijan and James Webb.

Curator: Thomas Thiel / Assistant curator: Jessica Schiefer.

The exhibition is supported by the Kunststiftung NRW (Arts Foundation of North Rhine-Westphalia), the Peter Paul Rubens-Stiftung and the Circle of Friends of the MGKSiegen. Parts of the exhibition will be shown at the Museum Sinclair-Haus (Bad Homburg) from March 2026.