Wings Over Green-Wood

Then, settle in for a film screening curated by Green-Wood’s current Artists in Residence, Shanzhai Lyric. Their selections focus on the poetics and politics of parrots, which they’ve called “the original mimicry artists.”

Before Reserving Your Spot, Please Note:

• Tickets: There is no need to print tickets! Attendees will be checked in by name.
• Where To Go: Check-in takes place at the Modern Chapel near the Main Entrance at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street (500 25th Street).
• Accessibility & Safety: The Modern Chapel is not fully ADA compliant, however, accommodations for entrance can be made for visitors using wheelchairs or other mobility aids. Before reserving tickets, we encourage visitors to contact our staff with any questions regarding accommodations and accessibility at 718-210-3080, ext. 1 or events@green-wood.com.

From the gentle dove to the mysterious raven, birds have carried powerful symbolic meaning in grief and mourning traditions. During the Victorian and Edwardian eras in the United States, bird imagery adorned funeral rites, floral arrangements, and even elegant taxidermy displays, showcasing profound connections between nature and remembrance.

Join Emily Hayflick, Green-Wood’s inaugural History Fellow, as she shares her research on how the Cemetery has evolved as both a sacred place of mourning and a vibrant destination for leisure—and the role played by birds and birding along the way. Experience a riveting discussion as Emily is joined by a panel of experts who will explore the connections between mourning traditions and the natural world.

Panelists include:

Divya Anantharaman is an artist, taxidermist, and educator whose practice specializes in birds. Their award-winning work centers reverence and compassion, and seeks to combine the demonstrative aspect of scientific presentation with the symbolic, introspective nature of art. You can learn more at Gotham Taxidermy.

Allison C. Meier is a writer, editor, and researcher on art, culture, and history. She is the author of Grave and regularly leads tours at The Green-Wood Cemetery, including ones highlighting symbolism and nature.

Jenny Monick spent 30 years as a visual artist, writer, and educator. She now works around the edges of wildlife rehabilitation, end of life care, community science, and architectural preservation.

Free, registration required. Please consider a $10 donation to The Green-Wood Historic Fund so that we can continue to offer more programs like this throughout the year.

From lush jungle canopies to the stone spires of Green-Wood, parrots have journeyed across oceans and centuries, tracing the path of human ambition and desire. These loud-voiced mimics—once pirate companions and symbols of imperial power—now forge surprising lives in our cityscapes, their calls both strange and familiar.

Join Shanzhai Lyric, Green-Wood’s 2025 Artist in Residence, for a film program exploring the intricate, evolving relationship between humans and parrots. Through experimental documentary and poetic visual essays, we’ll reflect on how these creatures—masters of mimicry yet undeniably their own—challenge us to rethink ideas of home, communication, and freedom.

About the artists:

The poetic inquiry of Shanzhai Lyric uses the concept of “shanzhai”—the Chinese term for counterfeit—as a framework through which to reconsider notions of ownership and property. Its stewards, Ming Lin and Alex Tatarsky, both born and raised in New York, draw inspiration from their Lower Manhattan neighborhood, particularly the immigrant community of street vendors, small business owners, and artists around Canal Street, the city’s hub for counterfeit goods. Circulating an archive of over 400 shanzhai poetry-garments, Shanzhai Lyric engages with global production schemes by considering the politics and poetics of the bootleg garment. Their residency focuses on Green-Wood’s colony of monk parakeets who are celebrated for their unique place in the city’s ecosystem, and whom they’ve called “the original mimicry artists.”

Shanzhai Lyric have previously exhibited their work in national and international institutions, including MoMA PS1; Henry Moore Institute; and Times Museum, among others. Shanzhai Lyric’s practice has been supported by numerous residencies, including the LES Studio Program at Cuchifritos, Canal Projects, and Cité des arts. 

Films Include:

Yma Sumac: Chuncho (1953) 3:36 

Dubbed the Peruvian Songbird, Yma Sumac is said to have acquired her incredible vocal range by imitating the birds of the Andean mountains. Here, she sings alongside them.

The Great Silence (2017) 16:00

The site of the Arecibo Observatory is home to the last remaining, critically endangered Puerto Rican parrots. This film by artists Allora & Calzadilla, in collaboration with science fiction author Ted Chiang, explores translation as a device to trace the slippery space between the human and non-human.

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (2005) 1:23

An unemployed musician cares for the community of wild parrots that reside just outside his home. When the neighborhood begins to upscale, and displacement from his rent-free cabin becomes imminent, he both fears the parrots’ fate and finds solace among them—leading him to question the limits of human freedom.

Free, registration required. Please consider a $10 donation to The Green-Wood Historic Fund so that we can continue to offer more programs like this throughout the year.