Bird Station will be inaugurated on September 19 at Chương Dương Forest Park in Hà Nội's Hồng Hà Ward. VNS Photo Đoàn Tùng

HÀ NỘI — An installation in Chương Dương Forest Park will be inaugurated today in Hà Nội's Hồng Hà Ward, combining technology with nature to help visitors learn about birds in the area and experience various aspects of their lives. 

When entering Bird Station, a computer system will be activated to welcome people and play sounds of the birds chirping. It will also translate the sounds using AI, in the hope of bringing guests closer to the birds' perspective on the environment and the world around them.

The project, initiated by the Goethe Institute Việt Nam in collaboration with local and German partners, aims to promote urban biodiversity in Chương Dương Forest Park as well as in Tao Đàn Park in HCM City's Bến Thành Ward. 

Sharing a common commitment to community engagement and the preservation of natural ecosystems, the partners have collaborated closely over several months to develop two original public art installations in Hà Nội and HCM City, according to institute director Oliver Brandt. 

"It's part of the celebrations marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and Germany this year," Brandt said.

"The collaboration seeks to make a meaningful impact on the local community by bringing together German and Vietnamese artists and architects for a site-specific co-creation."

Think Playgrounds from Hà Nội and Baltic Raw Org from Hamburg, Germany, are working together for the first time on the project.

Baltic Raw Org is an interdisciplinary artist collective. Founded in 2000, it specialises in temporary interventions in public spaces.

While their early years focused on participatory occupation and use of urban brownfield sites, since 2012, the group has been working within an institutional framework under the term 'performative architecture'. Founding members include visual artist Berndt Jasper and dramatist Móka Farkas.

The artist collective creates site-specific installations that operate at the intersection of art, architecture and socio-spatial practice. The group uses modular, mobile wooden construction elements that are flexible and reusable. Its distinctive feature is the combination of walk-in sculptures and performative elements. The goal is to create temporary spaces, engage public participation and redefine conventional forms of presentation. 

Think Playgrounds was founded in 2014 with a mission to promote children’s right to play.

By the end of 2024, Think Playgrounds had built over 270 eco-friendly playgrounds and public spaces across Việt Nam. It has received numerous sustainability awards from local and international organisations, including the Asia Pacific Social Innovation Partnership Awards 2021 and EXO Foundation Awards 2024.

The Bird Station in Hà Nội will open to visitors from September 20. — VNS