Niels Gräber

The Pigeon in the Machine is an ongoing series of sculptures, investigating pigeon narratives as a place where humans, nature, and technology intersect.

Few animals are as entangled with us as pigeons. Inspired by a decoy pigeon recommended to me on the Decathlon webshop, the project abstracts aspects of pigeonhood into mechanical processes. Expanded by audio fragments, telling stories from our shared history, these machines question our relationship with man-made nature.

When do we notice pigeons? How do we share our cities? And what is our responsibility towards this species we domesticated and then abandoned?

Niels Gräber is a Dutch artist and tinkerer interested in making non-human experiences tangible. He does so through research-based investigation and hands-on use of technology, building interactive objects, custom electronics, software tools, and instruments. These systems are presented both as installations and as instruments in his live performances.

He believes that technology can be a translator between human and non-human worlds and that art can let us feel unfamiliar perspectives rather than just imagine them, cultivating awareness and empathy for non-human entities. His current fascinations (among many others) are rocks, HiFi culture, fridges, analogue video signals, and pigeons.

Niels enjoys working collaboratively and has performed at Creative Coding Utrecht, StrandedFM radio, Sexyland Amsterdam, and various other venues. He is part of the DJ/sound trio TOOTH ENEMA and has worked with Fetishism in Sound collective.

Find Niels' work during ArtEZ finals 2026, as part of You've Reached the Center, Please Hold exhibition, at Oude Kraan 26, Arnhem, Design Art Technology (DAT)