Becoming (m)Other: Ethics of Performing with Animals
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| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
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| Description | With the development of animal rights and scientific knowledge, the role of non-human animals in the world is changing rapidly. While animals can be still seen as mere metaphors for human existence in some artworks, there are already artists actively working with animals as co-creators, performers, or audience. In my paper, I am going to analyze the performative project Hybrid Family (2016) by Slovenian artist Maja Smrekar and her two dogs. In this project, Smrekar co-habits a gallery space with her adoptive canine family and acts as their mother, inluding breastfeeding a puppy. Discussing Smrekar’s project, I will argue that including non-human animals in performative events may be seen from two opposing standpoints. It may either be seen as an example of speciest domination and animal abuse, OR it may become a potential for animal liberation and disruption of the anthropocentric ideal. Working with concepts from posthuman philosophy of Rosi Braidotti, I will explore the opposing views and problematize ideas such as human subjectivity and evolutionary superiority. In doing so, I would like to propose a possibility of conceptualizing performance as a phenomenon non-exclusive to human cognition and willpower. |
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