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Group Exhibition

Nature Teaches Beasts

(2012)

Gallery I,  
Seoul, South Korea

Sicinius said, “Nature teaches beasts to know their friends’ in William Shakespeare’s Coriolanus.

From microscopic organisms to gigantic whales, the Earth teems with animal life; from the deepest parts of the ocean to the tops of mountains. Some are loved and cared for in our own homes, more fight for survival in the wild, and others we beat and butcher.

The relationships that humans have with animals vary from person to person and animal to animal. Timothy Treadwell ventured into bear territory multiple times, until he was mauled to death by the animals he spent so much of his life learning about and trying to protect. George and Joy Adamson cared and nurtured lions in Kenya, protecting them from hunters and poachers, raising hope the species will continue to exist.

Not all human-interaction is as positive as this. Dogs are beaten before being killed, and their adrenal glands are sold to consumers. Tiger carcasses are soaked in rice wine to increase virility. Rhinoceros horns are sheared off to grind into powder, allegedly to heal all kinds of ailments. Bear bile is drained from live bears for medicinal purposes. Animals are skinned for their fur.

This exhibit aims to highlight the complex relationships between humans and animals, and ask the simple question – what do we mean to each other?

The following works also appeared in 

Nature Teaches Beasts: