Exploring the Role of Non-Human Animals in Contemporary Art: As Objects, Matter, and Collaborators
Abstract
From the 1970s onwards, the presence of non-human animals within contemporary art has gradually become stronger. Animals have been involved in creating art installations, considered part of the artwork, or displayed as inanimate objects. This essay aims to describe three ways in which the individual lives and trajectories of non-human animals intersect with the world of contemporary art: as collaborators, objects, or as matter. Furthermore, the case studies pre- sented demonstrate the need for a temporary methodological tripartition based on animals' different positions in the various artworks. Ultimately, this essay sheds light on a largely unexplored IN history, revealing the complex relationship between non-human animals and contemporary art.
Submitted: July 11, 2023 | Accepted: Sept. 6, 2023 | Published Dec. 14, 2023 | Language: en
Keywords Non-human animals • Contemporary art • Multispecies studies • Ecomaterialism • Ecology
Copyright © 2023 Davide Tolfo. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/978-88-6969-756-2/002