Mil Pássaros, an installation by Companhia de Música Teatral, is a “night light” for whoever passes by Lisbon’s European Green Capital Store, at Praça do Município, between 9 and 20 of December 2020, after sunset. And for those at home, it is possible to virtually turn on the “night light” via the Zoom platform, here. From 7.30pm you can hear “Boa Noite!” and listen to a story, a poem or a song.
The installation is the culmination of work that began before the pandemic and has involved schools and nurseries, museums, libraries and families. During this time, among other suggestions, the creation of orizuros was proposed. An orizuro is a paper bird, created with the art of origami. In Japanese tradition, the bird is a symbol of peace and happiness. And, it is said, wishes come true when a thousand orizuros are made while thinking of a particular wish.
Hundreds of children have been giving life to orizuros with their fingers, expressing their dreams and their creativity, while at the same time becoming aware of the fragility of the world in which we live. These paper birds are the “foundation” for the creation of a poetic ecosystem, out of shapes and shadows present in the Mil Pássaros installation. Mediated by technology, the installation behaves like a “collective organism” that “breathes” and “sings” and “responds” to the presence of those who pass by. It is a participatory project that invokes the strength and beauty of a collective will, expressing a common desire to make everything better.