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In the dim silence of St. Catherine’s Church, Dutch artist Boris Acket’s colossal creature rises into the air like a living apparition. Its translucent wings tremble with light. Metal ribs bend like a breathing spine. Sound pulses through the cathedral walls as if the entire space has awakened under Acket’s direction. For a moment, The Bird of a Thousand Voices no longer feels like an installation. It feels alive.
Inside the Mesmerizing Installation: Turning Myth Into Motion
This is The Bird of a Thousand Voices, a monumental kinetic artwork by Dutch artist Boris Acket, first unveiled at the Vilnius Light Festival and later reimagined inside the historic St. Catherine’s Church in 2026. Standing 12 meters tall, the sculpture merges aluminum, transparent fabric, sound, text, and movement into an immersive mythological experience that blurs the line between sculpture and performance.
Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s imagined “dream machines,” the installation captures the fragile mechanics of flight. The bird does not simply move. It breathes. Waves of fabric ripple through the space like feathers caught in a storm, while shifting light and resonating sound create the illusion of a celestial being suspended between worlds.
But beneath the spectacle lies something more intimate.
The work originates from an ancient Armenian folktale and evolved from the music-theatre production The Bird of a Thousand Voices, directed by Ruben van Leer. In this universe, mythology becomes a language for transformation, harmony, and collective memory. Every moving element feels symbolic, as if the bird carries fragments of forgotten stories through the air.
The music of Tigran Hamasyan forms the emotional backbone of the piece. His compositions, known for blending Armenian folk traditions with experimental jazz and progressive soundscapes, give the installation its haunting pulse. Together, sound and sculpture create an atmosphere that feels sacred.
What makes the installation especially powerful is its relationship with space. Inside St. Catherine’s Church, the towering structure interacts with centuries-old architecture in unexpected ways. Light cuts through the darkness like stained glass in motion. Shadows become part of the choreography. The church itself transforms into a living extension of the artwork.
The Bird of a Thousand Voices turns engineering into poetry. Every movement feels organic, almost spiritual. It reminds viewers that machines, myths, and music can coexist in a single emotional language.
The installation leaves behind a strange feeling: awe mixed with stillness. As the bird slowly moves above the audience, it becomes less about watching art and more about surrendering to it.
Boris Acket’s The Bird of a Thousand Voices Credits
Installation: Boris Acket
Creative Direction: Boris Acket, Ruben van Leer
Inspired by the music of: Tigran Hamasyan
Creative Engineer: Merijn Versnel
Production: Truth.io
Supported by: Mondriaan Fund
Shown at: Vilnius Light Festival
Creative Production: Luiza Guidi
Software: Moos Crebolder
Credit: @Boris Acket
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