Animals Through Human Eyes

How do you view animals? Are humans the most important species? Explore depictions of animals in art and prepare to question your perspectives.

Animals Through Human Eyes is an online exhibition curated by University of Leeds MA students from different cultures and backgrounds. Using the Smithsonian Institution collection, a range of artworks have been selected which feature animals but were framed by humans.

The exhibition explores how this framing presents animals through the human lens. They are depicted as commodities to be used, as background props to human life, and as vessels to project perceived emotions onto.

Animals cannot talk to us; therefore, we are left to interpret their needs and desires. However, Animals Through Human Eyes encourages us to consider where power lies when speaking for those that can't speak for themselves.

In the face of a climate crisis, it is more important than ever to think about our relationships with animals and the roles we play in each other’s lives.

Curated by Sophie Gostling, Zhuozhi Gu, Geo Vega Rivera and Ruisi Wang.

Visit the exhibition

Animals Through Human Eyes is one of eight online exhibitions curated by MA Art Gallery and Museum Studies and MA Arts Management and Heritage students from the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, as part of an Interpretations course module.

A link to the exhibition will be made available here from 11 December.

Image

The elephant Khanderao Bahadur killing Sham Mahavat, ca. 1700, unknown artist. S2018.1.23. National Museum of Asian Art Collection at the Smithsonian Institute. Creative Commons Zero (CCO 1.0) license.