Nope, This Isn’t A Pathway To A Secret Dimension

I wish it could be though. Discharge is an art installation composed of approximately ten thousand pigeon feathers. The five-meter tall installation pours down from a built-in bookcase like water. Don’t worry, it is static, but artist Kate MccGwire evokes the way water appears as it cascades down, as Colossal details:

The delicate feathers are sourced ethically from pigeon racers who collect the plumes in August and October when the birds molt. MccGwire sorts the materials in her studio, separating the ones that curve left from those that bend to the right, before arranging them in captivating, color-specific patterns. “When visitors see the piece for the first time they are drawn to the phenomenal scale, rhythmic patterning, movement, and perfection of the piece,” she says of the mixed-media installation. “But are often perturbed and revolted when they understand what the material is,” which is exactly her intention. By juxtaposing the raw materials with the finished artwork, she asks viewers to consider the everyday beauty that’s often overlooked.

“Discharge” has been exhibited in an evolution of configurations in South Korea, Berlin, Paris, and now, Harewood House in West Yorkshire until August 14.