Human-Animal Fails Compilation 2024

22.2. 2024 od 18:00 

We cordially invite you to a screening and lecture of Human-Animal Fails Compilation 2024 by the artist Denisa Langrová. During this lecture, Denisa Langrová will elaborate on her master's research concerning the depiction of non-human animals and their agendas in moving images. She will discuss the documentary strategies employed in contemporary art for depicting non-human animals, with a focus on the analysis of the power of gaze utilized in these strategies. Which species are predominantly shown, and which are rendered invisible? What messages are conveyed when we portray their suffering? Can we effectively mediate the perspective of the other, or do we fall into anthropomorphism? Furthermore, how does the virtual presence of these animals impact us in the context of species extinction?

Drawing from examples in contemporary art and documentary film, the artist will present a cross-section of various strategies for depicting non-human animals. Throughout the discussion, attendees will explore how these methods function and how they can be understood through visual theory.

The Project could be implemented thanks to the financial support of the Czech Ministry of Culture, the State Cultural Fund, a grant from the City of Prague.

Denisa Langrová will delve into her longstanding interest in the coexistence of humans and other animals as part of her three-month residency The City Close to the Flight of Birds. Specifically, she will focus on the environment that the city provides for such coexistence, as well as on the context of visual culture, which anchors the relationship between humans and other animals through images. The program will offer attendees not just artistic outputs centered around the themes of ecofeminism and environmental studies but also practical advice on how to administer first aid to animals in the city.

Denisa Langrová works at the Rescue Station in the capital city of Prague. She is pursuing her Master's degree in the Studio of Fine Arts III at UMPRUM in Prague. Denisa Langrová's concepts are rooted in ecofeminist theories, environmental studies, interspecies relations, and non-binary foundations. She explores the intersections of human and other animal stories, the concept of domestication, its potential connection to love, and her personal experience of living in a global crisis and capitalist society. She views the personal as political and vice versa. Her works often draw from stories in which she freely combines real and fictional elements. Through art, she seeks a space for emotionality, irrationality, and paradigm-breaking. Additionally, she is the author of several educational workshops, panel discussions, and other sharing formats at the intersection of art and education.