Experience Björk’s AI-Powered Sound Installation at Centre Pompidou, Honoring Biodiversity and Endangered Species
Icelandic singer-songwriter and artist Björk is bringing her powerful new installation, Nature Manifesto, to the Centre Pompidou in Paris. This unique sound piece, created in collaboration with French sound artist Aleph and the sound research institute IRCAM, is set to transform the experience of the museum’s iconic escalators from November 20 to December 9. As part of the forum “Biodiversity: Which culture for which future?” the installation employs AI to bring the lost voices of extinct and endangered animals back to life.
The installation, described as an “immersive sonic journey,” combines Björk’s spoken manifesto with carefully reconstructed animal calls, harmonized with evocative natural soundscapes. As museum visitors move between floors, they encounter the installation’s audio on the famous escalator known as the “caterpillar,” a piece of industrial architecture representing a contrast to nature’s fragile beauty. The piece aims to provoke reflection on the environmental impact of urban life and industrialization on biodiversity.
According to Björk and Aleph, this soundscape is meant to act as a bridge, connecting listeners to the wisdom of nature through the haunting calls of endangered creatures. The artist hopes that each echo serves as a reminder to prioritize mindfulness and collective environmental action. The installation supports a related campaign organized by young environmental activists from France and Iceland, set to launch later this year.
Björk’s installation also builds on her ongoing work as a climate advocate. Last month, she announced a concert film Cornucopia and an accompanying photobook, both dedicated to the theme of climate change. Her Nature Manifesto at the Centre Pompidou emphasizes how art, technology, and activism can merge to inspire deeper awareness and reverence for the natural world.