For a project called “Some pigeons are more equal than others,” artists Julius von Bismarck and Julian Charriere spraypainted a handful of Venice’s pigeons and rereleased them in time for 2012 Venice Biennale. The German duo dyed the birds in the radiant colors of Macaws, Flamingos and Cardinals, with the hope that tourists would notice their beauty, and stop referring to them as “rats of the sky.”
Though we’re not sure what type of spray paint they used or how it was applied, Designboom claims no pigeons were harmed during their makeovers. It remains to be seen how the other pigeons respond to their punky new looks.
Either way, you have to hand it to the Italians for always putting fashion first, and constantly getting behind projects to make their lives more beautiful.
For more photos, check out Julian-Charriere.net
August 30, 2012 at 2:47 pm, The 20 Greatest Sports Moments of 'Parks and Rec' said:
[...] Pigeons go punk! The Venice birds were spraypainted in all sorts of dramatic shades to make them more appealing to tourists. [Death+Taxes] [...]
August 30, 2012 at 7:27 pm, UWinnipeg Sustainability Initiative said:
How does spraypaint affect feathers? Are they still waterproof? Preanable? What toxins were in the paint? How would we respond if people were captured and their skin was covered with permanent paint?
August 31, 2012 at 7:17 pm, Erik LittleFin Schwartz said:
What a debbie downer you are..
August 30, 2012 at 3:53 pm, They're Still The 'Rats Of The Sky' of the Day - Cheezburger said:
[...] They're Still The 'Rats Of The Sky' of the Day "Some pigeons are more equal than others," argue artists Julius von Bismarck and Julian Charriere, who spraypainted a bunch of pigeons in Venice to make them more attractive to tourists. (They insist no animals were harmed in the process.) Ummm, pretty pigeons are still pigeons — just because they're more attractive doesn't mean they cease being ginormous pains in the ass. [death+taxes] [...]
August 30, 2012 at 8:17 pm, Bettina Weber said:
As long as it's non-toxic dye, this could improve pigeon/tourist relations in La Serenissima…
August 30, 2012 at 8:38 pm, Sarah Lynn said:
Love this
August 31, 2012 at 9:53 am, Ben Boyd said:
please include rat bait.
August 31, 2012 at 6:19 pm, Donovan Glass said:
such a great idea!
August 31, 2012 at 7:25 pm, Victoria Alvarez said:
Pretty!
August 31, 2012 at 6:58 pm, Kodachrome Basin State Park: A Panorama « Arnoffoto said:
[...] Germans are spray painting pigeons in Italy to make them more beautiful to tourists. Yeah, no, they’re still disgusting. Also, [...]
September 01, 2012 at 6:02 am, Cristiana Senni said:
Surely beautiful.
But there is a reason for the pigeon's natural feather coloring: it helps them elude predators such as hawks and other raptors. The painted ones will stand out like beacons and are unlikely to survive for very long.
September 01, 2012 at 11:18 am, Ashlea Marshall said:
Thanks Sherlock!
September 03, 2012 at 6:25 am, Hadron Omen said:
Paloma Fashion Week!
September 06, 2012 at 5:37 am, אכזרי או מגניב? יונים צבועות בוונציה (תמונות) | חורים ברשת said:
[...] Death and Taxes. שלח: שלום [...]
September 17, 2012 at 10:29 am, Painted Pigeons | Stencil.ro said:
[...] via Death and Taxes Bookmark the permalink. ← Street Art Gathering “Jumpa Tembok [...]