Scared of the unknown : human-animal connections in contemporary art
Fofanova, Victoria (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024120231865
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024120231865
Tiivistelmä
This thesis explores the impact of fostering empathy toward non-human animals in contemporary art as a medium for raising ethical awareness and reconsidering cultural attitudes regarding wildlife.
Through a combination of theoretical analysis of empathy and anthropomorphism, personal art practice, and experience, this thesis investigates how art can challenge anthropocentric perspectives and promote compassionate, cross-species interconnection. It highlights artworks that emphasize the relationship between humans, non-humans, and nature, as well as the challenges and moral questions surrounding the exploitation of living or dead beings in the field of art, with a particular focus on Finnish artists.
The installation Scared of the Unknown addresses the local, controversial situation concerning Finland's limited wolf population. It serves as a focal point for examining public fears and misunderstandings regarding predators and other species. Additionally, it raises broader ethical debates on animal rights and the methods used to represent "the other" in art.
This thesis considers artistic expressions that intertwine human empathy, nature, and moral responsibility, offering a reflective perspective on coexistence with non-human animals.
Through a combination of theoretical analysis of empathy and anthropomorphism, personal art practice, and experience, this thesis investigates how art can challenge anthropocentric perspectives and promote compassionate, cross-species interconnection. It highlights artworks that emphasize the relationship between humans, non-humans, and nature, as well as the challenges and moral questions surrounding the exploitation of living or dead beings in the field of art, with a particular focus on Finnish artists.
The installation Scared of the Unknown addresses the local, controversial situation concerning Finland's limited wolf population. It serves as a focal point for examining public fears and misunderstandings regarding predators and other species. Additionally, it raises broader ethical debates on animal rights and the methods used to represent "the other" in art.
This thesis considers artistic expressions that intertwine human empathy, nature, and moral responsibility, offering a reflective perspective on coexistence with non-human animals.