We invite you to a lecture accompanying the exhibition by Elwira Sztetner, “Exercises in empathy”.
In a recent interview with Krytyka Polityczna, entitled “I am looking for evidence of a crime,” Elwira Sztetner described her work – the results of which can be seen, among other things, as part of the exhibition “Exercises in empathy” – as detective work. What she is looking for are traces of animal crimes. She searches through everyday life, finding violence also among seemingly innocent objects meant to entertain.
“You won’t see violent images there, beyond what we participate in every day. It’s a pretty familiar world and tame domination” – reads the description of the Bydgoszcz exhibition “Exercises in empathy.”
In the presentation, I will follow this thought and look for a chain of clues pointing to a widespread and almost perfectly tame species chauvinism resulting in unimaginable harm to non-human sentient animals. The presentation is the result of my detective work on the streets of Warsaw and Bydgoszcz. I will show a series of photographs, with only non-spectacular examples. One that most pass by without a reaction of surprise, controversy or concern.
Dariusz Gzyra – philosopher, publicist, social activist. Author of the book “Dziękuję za świńskie oczy. Jak krzywdzimy zwierzęta” (Wydawnictwo Krytyki Politycznej 2018), after its publication, submitted for the Paszporty POLITYKI award. Lecturer in anthropozoology at the Faculty of Artes Liberales, University of Warsaw. Member of the Polish Ethical Society. Editor of the animal rights ethics section of the scientific yearbook “Zoophilologica. Polish Journal of Animal Studies”. Vegan since 1999.