Espace_discussion : Animal point of view

Animal point of view

Discussion organized by the magazine ESPACE art actuel, in collaboration with Centre Skol.

March 21 :  7:00 — 10:00 pm

The theme of this discussion is related to the issue of No. 121 (Winter 2019): Point de vue animal/Animal Point of View.

In the Western rationalist tradition, the representation of animals has often been reduced to the physical aspect. Having neither language to express themselves nor reason to think, animals have long been reduced to the state of objects, if not things. It was only in the 19th century that some thinkers saw their ability to suffer as a breeding ground for human benevolence. Yet, despite the emergence of this new relationship with the animal condition, the art world – as with many other spheres of society – has been slow to take note of it. Even today, many artistic practices still persist in exposing in some of their works the violent treatment we inflict on animals. But, unlike these demonstrations where animal life is reduced to a consumer good, various artistic practices try to get closer to what can be the animal point of view. But what does “animal point of view” mean? How can animals have a “point of view”? And how can the visual arts contribute to this view?

Conference in French only

Photo : Fevered Sleep, « Sheep Pig Goat », 2017.With the kind permission of the artists and the Wellcome Collection.