Marcus Coates
Apology to the Great Auk, 2017
single channel HD video
7 mins 22 seconds
The Great Auk, a flightless bird once numerous around Fogo Island, was killed in vast numbers for its meat and feathers. By 1844 it was extinct worldwide. During a residency...
The Great Auk, a flightless bird once numerous around Fogo Island, was killed in vast numbers for its meat and feathers. By 1844 it was extinct worldwide. During a residency on Fogo Island, Newfoundland, Canada in 2017, Marcus Coates called for an official apology to be given to the Great Auk. His resulting film, Apology to the Great Auk, documents the sincere efforts of the people of Fogo Island to take responsibility for and learn from a loss which they personally cannot recall.