Murmuration - a phenomenon of cooperation
I recently watched an interview with Zach Bush, an American doctor, scientist, and educator whose work explores the interconnectedness of human health, ecology, and the microbial world. He spoke about his fascination with murmurations, those extraordinary gatherings of thousands of birds that move in synchronised, flowing patterns across the sky, and how they can act as teachers for us.
Bush describes how, in small numbers, birds fly in simple formations, sharing leadership in a clear, two-dimensional geometry. But when thousands come together, they form a murmuration: a vast, multidimensional structure in constant motion, shaped by collective intelligence, what he refers to as quorum sensing. When enough diversity and awareness gather in one space, something far greater than the sum of its parts emerges.
He draws a parallel between this natural phenomenon and human society, suggesting that our shift from contributors to consumers has broken our interdependence. By isolating ourselves within the boundaries of property, individual identity, and ownership, we’ve severed our connections to the wider ecology that sustains us. The murmuration, he suggests, invites us back into relational thinking, toward a model of community, trust, and shared movement.
These ideas resonate deeply with my practice. I’m drawn to the murmuration as both metaphor and method. A way of understanding resilience, communication, and repair.
I plan to visit the murmurations at Attenborough between November and February, to witness this living geometry firsthand and continue exploring how collective intelligence might inform the act of making itself.
