What if the key to understanding our changing climate lies in the nightly flight of bats? This might sound like a stretch, but stay with me. In the bustling city of Geelong, Australia, journalist and musician Mik Aidt has crafted a unique 23-minute audio artwork titled Bats and Being, which is set to debut at the Bats & Belonging exhibition in February 2026. But here’s where it gets intriguing: this piece isn’t just about bats—it’s a profound exploration of our connection to nature, the impact of climate change, and what it means to truly belong in a shared world. And this is the part most people miss: it’s not just about listening; it’s about feeling, reflecting, and acting.
The Urban Disconnect and the Call of the Bats
Living in a city often severs our ties with the natural world. Electric lights drown out the dusk, walls shield us from the elements, and seasons blur into the background. Mik’s artwork invites us to pause and re-engage with these rhythms, particularly through the lens of Geelong’s grey-headed flying foxes. These bats, with their nightly flights over Eastern Park, serve as a living reminder that climate change not only threatens us but also binds us to the rest of the planet. Their presence challenges us to reconsider our place in the ecosystem—a point that’s both humbling and controversial. Are we willing to see ourselves as part of a larger, interconnected web of life, or do we prefer the comfort of our human-centric bubble?
From Climate Advocacy to Sonic Storytelling
Mik’s journey into sound art began with a bold New Year’s resolution in 2025: to create 52 songs in 52 weeks, blending excerpts from his climate radio show The Sustainable Hour with music and poetry. This experiment revealed something profound: sound has a unique power to bypass our intellectual defenses and touch our emotions directly. When the call for the Bats & Belonging exhibition came, Mik saw it as the perfect opportunity to continue this path, using art to communicate care, vulnerability, and relationship rather than instruction. But here’s the twist: the story for his piece didn’t fully crystallize until a heatwave struck Geelong, pushing temperatures to a life-threatening 41°C. It was then that Mik realized the bats, his nightly neighbors, were in distress—and their struggle became the heart of his work.
The Moment of True Noticing
For years, Mik had watched the bats fly over his garden, but it wasn’t until he began to perceive them as fellow inhabitants of his suburb that they truly came alive for him. Their nightly movement, a majestic yet calm procession, became a ritual that grounded him in time and place. Unlike the scary creatures of horror films, these flying foxes are gentle, social beings with intricate communication systems. For instance, each mother bat has a unique call for her baby, a detail that deeply moved Mik and transformed his perception. But here’s the controversial question: If we recognize the intimacy and care in the lives of other species, does that impose a moral obligation on us to protect them?
Shaping the Sound Piece: A Journey of Empathy and Unease
Bats and Being is not your typical nature soundscape. It’s a layered composition that blends field recordings, music, spoken reflections, and fragments from a guided walk with researchers. The piece doesn’t aim to soothe; it aims to provoke. The extreme heatwave that shaped its creation is woven into its fabric, creating a sense of discomfort that mirrors the urgency of climate change. This isn’t ambient music for relaxation—it’s a call to action. And this is where it gets polarizing: Can art that makes us uncomfortable truly inspire change, or does it risk alienating its audience?
Belonging Through Connection
Mik’s definition of belonging is rooted in connection—not just with other humans, but with place, weather, animals, and the living systems around us. The bats, he argues, are not visitors; they are fellow citizens of Geelong. This project has deepened his sense of warmth and responsibility toward his city and its non-human inhabitants. But here’s the final thought-provoking question: In a world where climate change is reshaping our lives, what does it mean to belong—not just to a place, but to a planet?
Bats & Belonging opens on February 5, 2026, at Untether Gallery in Geelong. Will you listen? Will you feel? And most importantly, will you act?
