Spy Falcon

Overview

Laurent Grasso’s film Spy Falcon was inspired by the Artist’s visit to Sharjah, where he heard mythological and romantic stories of traditional Arabic hunters who trained falcons to help with their work. Seduced by images of tradition and fascinated by how the falcons may have surveyed the land, Grasso enlisted the help of a bird trainer and his falcon to create a film. A small camera was attached to the body of the falcon and footage was shot as the bird was in flight.

Sent over mysterious and inaccessible places, the falcon filmed the desert and lunar-like landscapes that are characteristic of the UAE. Beyond providing a privileged perspective over the landscape, Grasso’s gesture transforms a traditional method of hunting into a spying tool. Spy Falcon creates a context in which the mythological creature of the falcon is transformed to echo military spy drones that circle above conflict zones. The romantic and the mythological are merged with the real and the present, highlighting an important perspective on how we relate to land and territories.

This project was part of Sharjah Biennial 9