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ENTANGLED EXCHANGES: 
EXPLORING TRANSACTIONS BEYOND 
THE ECONOMIC SPHERE 
BY TEODORA ROȘU

Instances of exchange have permeated daily human activities for centuries. Yet, transitioning from communal land use to private ownership marked a pivotal shift towards the capitalist chain that now dominates our modern era. Today, we are so accustomed to understanding transactions as monetary exchanges that we struggle to imagine an alternative to such commodified transfers. Of course, these financial affairs were only invented to construct a certain kind of, desired, world. But, while the world is boiling past the limits of its tipping point — both literally and metaphorically — it's crucial that we think outside of the box imposed by capitalist systems of thought. 

The idea of intra-action, which draws from quantum physics and feminist theory, is a helpful, underlying concept to such alternative thinking. Unlike the traditional understanding of an interaction, where separate entities are assumed to exist before they interact, intra-action recognizes that distinct identities form through their encounters with one another. While every transaction affects the parties involved in some way, intra-action emphasizes the new meanings and transformations that emerge as a result of reciprocal exchanges. In order to move past the established understanding of transactions as merely monetary exchanges, we have to consider how these acts shape our common worlds. Transactions are not solely about the transfer of capital; they are integral to the entire process of world-making.

With this in mind, I began my collaboration with Stol Collective. Including artists Anio, Ioana, Mara, and Marco, this collective is dedicated to creating socially engaged projects that challenge conventional notions of ecology. By paying attention to our relationships with the more-than-human beings that we coexist with, Stol Collective seeks to create new, non-normative, narratives about the world we inhabit. Their artistic projects serve as a powerful lens, revealing the intricate layers of intra-actions that shape our relationships between humans and non-humans, alongside our understandings of these relationships. My decision to work with them was straightforward, as we shared a common ambition: challenging the established systems of thought and forms of transaction  embedded in our modern culture and society.

Making the case 
for the companion species

Reflecting on the tension between nature and culture within urban landscapes, Marco suggested we work with pigeons, whose place in the world is highly contested. For me, it was already a provoking subject; I realized that I was one of those internalized anthropocentrists who saw pigeons as a nuisance. Yet, after Stol Collective proposed working with them, I recognized that my aversion to these birds—who are always trying to nest on my balcony—could be transformed into a critique of a broader, Western, system, which designs cities and guides residents in ways that position pigeons as intruders.

In order to explore how the relationship between pigeons and humans has shaped our shared world, I needed to trace how this relationship gradually developed. Delving into the history of pigeons led me to question why so many of us harbor such disdain for an animal that was once so close to us: pigeons were honored in many ancient and modern religions,  they were among the first domesticated animals, predating even dogs, and they served as a food resource before chickens. While many of us remember pigeons as merely the first messengers, they were also highly reliable and vital forms of military communication, used as far back as the Roman Empire. After WWII, Winston Churchill awarded 32 pigeons the Dickin Medal, honoring their contributions to the war. What surprises me most is not just the governmental recognition of pigeons’ abilities, but the ways these abilities have been weaponized. Project Pigeon, a lesser-known WWII initiative, trained pigeons to peck at an electromagnetic screen, in turn guiding missiles to their targets. Fun fact: the screens these pigeons were pecking were the precursors of the smartphone touch screens we slouch over today.

Pigeons are companion species, active participants in the development of human civilization. But, even though pigeons were once humanity’s closest partners, eurocentric thought eventually marked them as inconveniences, becoming annoyed by their presence in the urban landscape. Our transactions—or rather, our intra-actions—with pigeons have shifted over time, from mutual reliance and coexistence to a more detached and adversarial relationship, reflecting broader changes in how we engage with the non-human world.

Through investigating the roots of our prejudice against pigeons, I discovered Jerolmack's research on the development of the "pigeon problem". This “problem” seems to stem more from a certain ingrained perception of the world, rather than from any actual harm pigeons cause. As Western societies built cities amidst nature, they conceived these concrete structures as sterile, isolated spaces, where natural elements could be controlled and tamed to their liking. Cities were intended and designed for humans, so any wilderness found within had to be eradicated. But, this wasn't always the case. 

Jerolmack analyzed 155 years of New York Times publications, revealing how the narrative surrounding pigeons has evolved—from prohibiting the sport of shooting pigeons, as it was considered a “moral outrage”, to eliminating  them by the hundreds in an effort to ‘protect’ human health. Such narratives evolved into the derogatory term "rats with wings", which reflects "a cultural anxiety about disorder and a deeply felt need for a sanitized city”.

Yet, in our modern, estranged times, communities of pigeon fanciers have prevailed, united by their passion for these birds. We were drawn to these dynamics, eager to learn more about those who maintain close connections with pigeons. These relationships seemed to embody an alternative form of transaction—intra-actions rooted in care, stewardship, and mutual respect, rather than the detached, transactional relationships that, today, often characterize our interactions with the natural world. Following Stol Collective's methodology, we began by exploring specific, seemingly relevant spaces and relationships, documenting both the landscapes that pigeons populate and the tight-knit communities of pigeon fanciers. Romania, we discovered, has a significant community of pigeon fanciers who regularly participate in races.

Pigeons Racing 
for a Place in the World

Pigeon racing, which began in Belgium in 1818, has captivated many, including Ialcin—a passionate advocate of the sport. We contacted him on short notice, but he made time for us as he was confident that we had found the right person. His son, also a pigeon racer, invited us to join him one early morning to wait for the pigeons to return from their practice. Released 80 km away, the birds began to return at 8:20 a.m., slightly later than expected. Ialcin and his son spoke about their pigeons as though they were professional athletes, emphasizing the intense interspecies relationship they share; the pigeons must be constantly motivated, but in return, they provide immense, therapeutic, relaxation to their keepers. 

Ialcin was determined to introduce his son to pigeon fancying, seeing it as an ideal escape from the harmful temptations of the modern world. He wanted his son to be surrounded by a worthy entourage, away from the potentially destructive paths led by drugs and alcohol. Andrei received his first pigeons as a child, and his interest has only grown since. It's not a pursuit intended for profit— while prize money can be earned from winning races, making a living off of pigeon racing is rare and often requires several generations to build a reputation, raise ‘capable’ birds, and accumulate wealth over time. 

The story of racing pigeons, as told by Ialcin and his son, is one of mutual recognition and satisfaction; though it’s a time-consuming industry, to them, it gives back far more than it takes. Despite the fact that only 20-30% of the pigeons remain with them after a good year, the bond between these birds and their keepers seems profound. 

Thinking about the 70-80% of birds who do not make it home every year, the number of pigeons found throughout cities starts to raise questions. Ialcin explains that weaker pigeons are less likely to return from a race - yet, he is glad when this happens, as it makes more space to breed the others at a higher level. Through an unintentional transaction between the pigeon racer and the urban environment, these "failing" pigeons become outcasts. In search of a new home and family, they perfectly blend in with the urban pigeon population. The only difference is the care they’ve received; while Andrei says that he provides his pigeons with the best food and conditions in order to get the best performance out of them, city pigeons have to adapt to scarce sources of care, though without the conditional expectations that come with being a domesticated racer pigeon. The care provided by the racers is meant to be reciprocated through  the pigeons’ performance, much like how the racers’ monetary investment–through purchasing these pigeons–is returned through the race prizes that come out of their devoted training.

Clearly, pigeons are not entirely exempt from the economic system of our capitalist era.  In this sport, pigeons are commodified goods, which are bought, bred, and sold based on their performance. Ialcin tells us that a pigeon’s pupil size indicates its potential for good results in racings, while those with smaller pupils tend to make it home more often. That’s why - we finally understood - the websites that sell pigeons for racings display their eyes almost as big as their body size. 

He also explains how the pink in their mouth and on their belly are active indicators of good health. In the context of racings, pigeons are seen more as products with specific qualities to shop for, rather than simply imposing dwellers, as they are within the urban scenery. Although there is an inherent monetary component to this dynamic, the transaction between pigeon racers and pigeons is also emotional. 

When visiting the club and meeting other pigeon fanciers with Ialcin, they all validated the pigeons' ability to disconnect them from the stressors, agitations, and technologies of daily life. Pigeon fanciers engage in numerous non-monetary transactions with their avian partners, forming deep, relational bonds. Their admiration for the pigeons' intelligence is immense, and they have come to realize that the problem in cities is not the pigeons, but humans themselves—having invaded their space, we are the true culprits.  We further discovered how the pigeons facilitate human interactions; the community of fanciers has become a family in itself. After Ialcin gifted a new racer his first three pigeons, one of them triumphed over a mondial champion, a result that amazed all, demonstrating how transactions among racers take the form of knowledge-sharing, passion, and trust. 

The sport cultivates adrenaline and excitement, often turning into a game of chance as pigeons surprise their keepers with their performance, fostering their partnership. It is precisely this form of intra-action between humans and pigeons that allows the sport of pigeon racing to persist, as the relationships built through care, exchange, and mutual engagement sustain its existence.

They also mentioned how the women in the community often achieve the best results, prompting us to consider how gender may influence one’s relationship with pigeons. In our search for pigeon enthusiasts, we encountered two women who rescued them from the streets and kept them as pets, nurturing genuine connections, as opposed to training them for racing. This observation raises intriguing questions about how race, gender, and age might impact the relationships formed with pigeons. Women, for example, may adopt more nurturing roles, while other groups may approach pigeon care through utilitarian lenses. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the opportunity to talk with them to better understand how different factors influence this dynamic further. 

Intra-actions come 
to matter

While the stories of pigeon fanciers fascinated us, we also wanted to explore the lives of feral pigeons throughout the city. We often see the smiling faces of those who feed them in the park, despite signs forbidding the activity. Throughout cities, no one is incentivized to feed pigeons, it’s done as a reward for the simple act of showing up. Feral pigeons don’t have an ‘owner’, but rather, an urban community  that offers them food in public squares, parks, or outside of their home windows. 

People offer pigeons bread and water out of the desire for an emotional connection or a sense of contribution, without expecting much in return. This is a prime example of intra-action, where the encounters between humans and pigeons create distinct identities and contribute to the resilience of both species. By blending seamlessly into daily life, these reciprocal exchanges highlight the importance of non-monetary transactions in sustaining and enriching our shared spaces. For this reason, we felt the need to explore the dynamics between feral pigeons and urban environments a bit more.

One morning, we visited the most pigeon-populated area in central Bucharest. Armed with food, we ventured into the heart of the city and fed the pigeons directly from our hands. It was an intimate and revealing experience that underscored just how accustomed these birds are to human presence. Their comfort was most evident when Anio managed to persuade some pigeons to perch delicately on her hand, lured by the simple offering of food. This interaction sparked a cascade of ideas about how we could facilitate more meaningful exchanges between people and pigeons. 

Initially, we played with the concept of designing a structure specifically for transacting food with pigeons, aiming to create a deliberate and symbolic image. During our brainstorming, we stumbled upon the curious, historical anecdote of Nikola Tesla’s deep affection for a pigeon—a connection so profound that it inspired us to consider a speculative, fictional narrative in which Tesla marries a community of pigeons. This idea, while whimsical, served as a catalyst for thinking about how we might engage with pigeons in a way that transcends mere human-animal interactions and, instead, moves toward a shared act of world-making. 

We noticed the beautiful visual patterns they create by perching on large advertising billboards, and even found ourselves intrigued by the aesthetics of their manure. We considered exploring this aesthetic further—reflecting on the concept of dirt, as Mara suggested—by designing t-shirts with patterns inspired by pigeon droppings. However, orchestrating such designs proved challenging; designing a space where pigeons would sit long enough to create the desired patterns seemed difficult, if not impossible. 

Our discussions led us to explore playful approaches, such as the classic game of tic-tac-toe. We enacted a scenario where Mara and Ioana played this game by placing food in designated squares, allowing the pigeons to 'play' by consuming the food in those areas. Once the pigeons had finished eating, they would mark the squares, recording the pigeons' choices. While this encounter was intriguing, it didn’t feel as dynamic as we had hoped. The pigeons, after all, were simply following our lead, with no agency in the game itself. Even though we managed to interact with them in a quite appealing way, the interaction didn’t culminate with an act of co-creation. Yet, the outcome—a draw—struck us as a potent metaphor for our complex and unresolved relationship with these birds. In a society deeply entrenched in hegemonic structures that encourage us to distance ourselves from the “other", whether human or non-human, this unresolved relationship with pigeons reflects broader societal issues. For this reason, we focused on facilitating a playful kind of interaction which fostered an active, joyful intra-action, from which all parties would benefit and shape each other.

Inspired by the idea of using games as a medium for interplay, we next considered the possibility of involving pigeons in a soccer match. We imagined the birds chasing after a ball covered in seeds, contributing to a light-hearted and engaging spectacle. However, reality quickly tempered our expectations—the pigeons were terrified by the ball’s movement, leading to an unexpected twist where the game became one of keeping the ball as still as possible. Contrary to our intuitions, the movement of the ball, triggered by their perching on it, made them fly away from the source of food. This experience was a humbling reminder that attempting to impose human frameworks onto other species often falls short. Instead, pigeons’ natural behaviors can teach us valuable lessons about cohabitation and respecting the autonomy of non-human beings.

In an effort to empower the pigeons, Anio then had the idea to craft a sculpture from clay, embedding seeds within the still-wet material. The vision was to invite the pigeons to interact with the sculpture, thereby co-creating a piece of art with us. This concept excited us, as it represented a true act of intra-action, where the deliberate contributions of both human and pigeon would shape the final artwork. Our curiosity was aroused by the unknown, as we all wondered how the pigeons would alter the sculptures.

Our first step in this process was to mold a face in clay, emphasizing the fact that pigeons have a remarkable ability to recognize and remember human faces. We were committed to trusting the creative process, allowing the final outcome to emerge organically from our collective efforts and the pigeons’ participation. Once our masks were complete, we brought them outside, placing them in an open space for the pigeons to discover. Over two rounds, the birds eagerly fed on the seeds embedded in the masks, gradually eroding the sculptures, puncturing them with their beaks and claws. The act of destruction was as significant as the act of creation, a symbol of the transient nature of our interactions and the ever-shifting dynamics between humans and pigeons. At the same time, it fostered a non-monetary transaction, in which we actively transacted food for the pigeons implicated in our artistic effort. They were fed 7 bags of seeds in the process of our project. 

This collaborative venture culminated in a striking sculptural piece, featuring five faces layered with expressive detail. Rather than using iridescent materials or colorful glazes, the sculpture adopted a more haunting and abstract form, resonating with urban surrealism. By placing the artwork in an open space, where the birds could feed upon the seeds served within it, we aimed to create a provocative image of pigeons perched on public sculptures. Contrary to our expectations, the pigeons showed no interest in the seeds or the sculpture itself. Despite this, the artwork still provoked a visual commentary on the presence of pigeons in cities. The scarecrow-like figure stood as a bizarre, symbolic guardian over the flock, embodying the complex and often unreciprocated relationship between humans and urban wildlife. We see people feed them, yet perceive them as giving nothing back, a reflection of our deformed expectations of nature's 'value' in transactional terms.

The presence of pigeons around the figure became a metaphor in itself, challenging our preconceived notions of how non-human actors would respond to art designed for interaction. The piece ultimately symbolizes the broader tension between efforts to remove pigeons from urban spaces, and an often unacknowledged  desire to create spaces where these birds are accepted. More than just an art object, this piece highlights the often overlooked dynamics of cohabitation, suggesting that attempts to engineer interactions with non-human life are not always predictable. This project continues to challenge dominant ecological narratives, encouraging a reflection on the limits of human intervention in fostering genuine intra-species relationships.

Moreover, Marco’s approach to documentary photography, blending a fashion-like aesthetic with a keen, observational eye, transformed the pigeons into subjects of celebration. His manner of shooting with flash lights, typically used to capture the allure of high fashion, shifts the pigeons from their usual portrayal as urban misfits into beings worthy of admiration. The deliberate use of composition elevates these often dismissed creatures, emphasizing their textures, forms, and movements in ways that provoke awe. In doing so, the photographs not only redefine the visual narrative surrounding pigeons, but also critique the cultural biases that label them as dirty, unwanted, and insignificant. The pigeons, usually relegated to the margins of urban life, are here given center stage, their presence cherished rather than ignored. In transforming how pigeons are seen—from symbols of urban decay to icons of beauty—Marco’s work provides  space for reimagining the relationships between humans, animals, and the urban environment. Through his photographs, pigeons are no longer passive or invisible, but active participants in the fabric of city life.

Our exploration of the intricate relationships between humans and pigeons highlights the profound and multifaceted nature of these interactions. Through both monetary and emotional transactions, we have seen how pigeon racing and urban feeding practices create a web of reciprocal exchanges that transcend mere utility.  The emotional bonds formed by the simple act of feeding pigeons, or the dedicated care involved in racing, illustrate a deeper connection that enhances both human well-being and the lives of the pigeons themselves. These interactions reveal how the human capacity for empathy and care can foster significant bonds, challenging conventional perceptions and encouraging a more compassionate understanding of our coexistence with pigeons.

This social experiment could be expanded upon, offering promising avenues for further inquiry and engagement with pigeons. Exploring the dynamics between feral pigeons and urban settings reveals how these interactions are integral to maintaining and supporting urban wildlife, offering a deeper understanding of the role such relationships play in the broader process of world-making. These efforts can cultivate a greater recognition of pigeons, shifting their status from urban outcasts to valued participants in our shared environment. Ultimately, such explorations contribute to a broader dialogue on human-animal interactions, offering new insights into the ways we can co-create meaningful, respectful, and harmonious connections with the more-than-human world. 

Working with Stol Collective has been a journey marked by trust—both in each other, in the pigeons, and in the process itself. This collaborative approach ensured that each step, no matter how tentative or experimental, contributed to a larger narrative that would unfold in due time. My collaboration with them has illuminated the myriad of ways that interactions shape, and are shaped by, the world we all share. By playing with the notion of transaction and challenging the commodification of exchange, we opened up new possibilities for understanding and appreciating the deep connections that bind us to the more-than-human world. This project has pushed us to reconsider what it means to be in relation with another species, and to challenge the societal norms that dictate how these relationships should unfold. Following the lead of Donna Haraway’s Companion Species Manifesto, we employed a critical lens through which we viewed pigeons not just as pests, but as significant others who actively participate in shaping the shared world we inhabit.

As we were delighted by our exploration of these entangled exchanges, we remained committed to pushing the boundaries of thought and practice, creating spaces where alternative narratives can flourish and where the other—whether human or non-human—can find their rightful place in the world. The journey is far from over, and the lessons learned along the way continue to inform our understanding of the world and our place within it. New ideas for fostering relationships, and ways of transacting, with pigeons keep emerging and driving our collaboration forward. 

The project is still a work-in-progress, and it will likely conclude in a speculative-documentary film that stitches together the materials we've filmed and gathered throughout this process. As we’ve documented every phase of this journey, the final film will weave together our interactions with pigeons, the creative interventions we’ve made, and the evolving dynamics between the human and non-human worlds. Keep an eye on the Bebe Magazine website to follow along and witness how our project unfolds.