CAFEMODE + BALCONI COFFEE COMPANY present
SUNDAY RECEPTION APRIL 7, 2013 6-10PM
[APRIL 7 – MAY 12, 2013]
HOMING PIGEON 「伝書鳩」
11301 Olympic Blvd. #124, Los Angeles, CA, 90064
Cafemode proudly present “Homing Pigeon 「伝書鳩」” group photo exhibit
by local and international artists
Before Internet and email there were homing pigeons. These pigeons carried messages only one way, to their home. By placing their food at one location and their home at another location, pigeons learned to fly back and forth up to twice a day reliably becoming an important means of communication.
The importance of homing pigeons in the centuries before electronic communications, such as the telegraph and telephone, is seldom recognized. Pigeons carried photographic negatives, documents of breaking news and even medication between hospitals countries apart.
As our means of communication developed into the present hyper-network, today’s homing pigeons have retired from messengers and now trained as racing pigeons. It is thought that racing pigeons rely on the Earth’s magnetic field to find their way home. Some evidence has surfaced indicating that mobile phone towers may be interrupting the birds navigation although no published research has investigated this theory.
The theme of this photography exhibit is an observation of the value of messaging; the sending, the expectations and the challenge of not expecting any return.
いまのようにインターネットや emailが発達する前、伝書鳩（ハト）は重要な通信手段だった。小さく巻いた写真や書類を足に付けた伝書鳩は世界のニュースを伝えていた。現代ではレー ス鳩としての役割だけが残った。レースに参加した鳩の鳩舎に帰ってくる羽数を帰還率という。その帰還率が全体的に年々悪くなっており、レースによっては全 滅するレースも発生しているという。その原因は近年の通信・放送網の拡大で、基地局や携帯の電磁波が多くなり、鳩の方向感覚を狂わせているからだという説 もある。いまは、連絡手段が豊富なだけに返信をもらうのが当たり前だと考えたりしますが、この充実してる通信手段が狂ったらどうなるのだろう。
今回の写真展のテーマは「返事を求めないメッセージ」です。
Balconi Coffee Company website
photo by Michiko Yao
Cafémode 