Lighthouse is an ongoing series of works that use ultraviolet light technology to create bird safe glass. Each year it is estimated that several billion birds die in collisions with manmade glass structures, with migratory birds at particular risk. Unlike humans however, many birds are able to see ultraviolet light; the Lighthouse series works from this fact to create artworks that could also play a functional role in reducing biodiversity loss.

For this work created during the Istanbul Artist Residency, I combined ultraviolet technology with the design of a rare Turkish Iznik tile, which dates from the 1570s. This unusual design shows two confronting birds perched on a fountain, which have been variously interpreted as peacocks, parrots or falcons by the scholars of the period. Along with the rich symbolism associated with birds in Turkish culture, this tile itself has an intriguing history. The technique for making this style of tile arrived in Turkey via Uighur culture, and only seven examples of this particular design of tile still exist; notably, one remains in Istanbul, and another is in Kyiv.

Although Lighthouse (Iznik Tile) makes use of new technology, in the Turkish context it could also be understood in reference to a much older tradition. In many Ottoman era buildings, architects would include ‘bird palaces’ (kuş köşkü) in their designs, to provide shelter and a place for nature in the urban space. Lighthouse (Iznik tile) encourages us to think again from the perspective of the natural world, and to build in a way that makes the city a safer ‘home’ for all its inhabitants, human or non human.