Birds 

Editor: This is "Birds" by Grégoire Michonze, it’s an oil painting with a landscape scene inhabited by, well, birds! The colors are intense and the style reminds me of naive art. What do you make of this composition? Curator: This piece, through its Fauvist lens, compels us to consider the role of nature within rapidly changing socio-political landscapes. Michonze painted this with an expressionistic view on the canvas: How might the bold color choices and simplified forms reflect a longing for an idealized past or critique the artist’s present? Editor: So, it is more than a simple landscape. But where is the activism? Curator: Absolutely! Think about it – the clustering of animals in the back can be a symbolic stance regarding immigration. Also the painting style in itself is already an artistic statement that shows us the cultural impact in our world. Are there ways this approach—naive but critical at the same time—could reflect themes of social justice or ecological concern, and our connection with each other? Editor: I never thought about it like that! Curator: Indeed. How do the Fauvist colors shape or challenge your perception of landscape as a representation of identity or power dynamics, perhaps even in relation to displaced populations? Editor: I was too focused on the birds to consider the deeper meaning. Thanks for offering this new perspective. Curator: And I'm thankful that you helped me remember the role that art has as a way to voice critical themes!