The Drone Aviary is an investigation of the social, political and cultural potential of drone technology as it enters civil space. Through a series of on-going installations, films and publications, the project aims to give a glimpse into a near-future city with ‘intelligent’ semi-autonomous, networked, flying machines. The installation includes a film introducing a family of five drones and an accompanying narrated editorial by Warren Ellis.

The film hints at a world where the ‘network’ begins to gain physical autonomy, moving through and making decisions about the world, influencing our lives in opaque yet profound ways. A speculative map highlights where physical and digital infrastructures merge, as our cities become the natural habitat for ‘smart’ technologies. With the European Commission working towards a basic regulatory framework for the civil use of drones by early 2016, these near future scenarios are becoming more and more plausible, but are they desirable?