Is it art?

There's a darkened doorway in the Barbican that has the metal equivalent of a beaded curtain hanging across it. Intrigued? Behind the curtain there's a dark tunnel. Odd. In the tunnel is a wooden walkway, edged with stones and plants. You can hear the sounds of crickets. Curiouser and curiouser. I follow the path. At the other end, you emerge into a light-filled, cavernous room. And here's the strangest part, it's a space filled with Gibson guitars, cymbals and... zebra finches. These cute little birds, with tiny orange beaks, and looking (sorry for the cliche) as light as a feather are going about their daily lives, every peck of bird seed, flutter of wings or sideways hop transformed into sound by the instruments. The brainchild of Celeste Boursier-Mougenot, this installation creates an ever-changing soundscape. It might be random sound – though motifs emerge from the hubub – but composers from Vaughan Williams to Messiaen have been inspired by birdsong. Is it art? I don't know. It's certainly unexpectedly uplifting.