LandLab artist-in-residence Susan Hagen’s diorama-inspired outdoor sculptures capture historical moments in bird conservation, bird science, and humankind’s impact on bird populations. Constructed from mixed media including reclaimed timber from the Schuylkill grounds, these small-scale sculptures allow visitors to intimately experience Hagen’s visual storytelling. Each of the eight sculptures explores the ethical challenges and opportunities facing humans and birds: where some focus on the heroic efforts of individuals to build a “Bird Ethic,” others show the absence of virtue, asking visitors to ponder the resulting effects. Inspired by the writings of Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, and other visionary naturalists, the project calls on all people to develop a new set of ethics towards birds and to consider the broader implications for the entire natural world. 

Curated by Kristina Murray.