Infos
2026
Production: NCCR Evolving Language, KorSonoR and Stiftung Kunst und Natur Sinclair Haus
Scientific Collaborators: Margot Elmaleh, Michael Long (NYU); Anja Zai, Richard Hahnloser (INI UNIZH); Sophie Schwartz (UNIGE), Coralie Debracque (NCCR)
Videography: Mikalai Zhaludovich
Edit: Mariko Montpetit
Book binding: Gabriela Simon
Graphic Design: Backstore (Lucas Lejeune, Arthur Chaput)
B5—his name shared with a musical note—was an adult zebra finch who became the subject of a study in a lab. One night, during the spring of 2023 as he slept for 11 hours, a recording of his neural activity revealed hundreds of short, sonic dreams.
This work transcribes B5's dream-filled night into a musical score, making his dreams audible by mapping patterns of neural activity during sleep against those recorded while singing.
Poem, post, song or dream, every act of thought becomes a data point to feed a new machine. Let us slow down, really listen and observe each of these points, because when we are no longer able to understand what it is like to be another, only objectification and oppression remain. Let us attempt to feel what it is like to be B5.
Listening has always been my passion. Through sound, I was drawn to the study of living organisms: buzzing mosquitoes, synchronising fireflies, pigeons, ants, and songbirds. Along the way, I have encountered many fascinating beings – individuals often dismissed as pests, objects or mere datapoints. I believe that there is space for empathy in science. Its machines and formulas discover silenced voices. Through listening we can connect with worlds still unknown to us.
