NOTE: The photographs presented in the exhibition may evoke strong emotions. The exhibition is intended for people over 16 years of age only.
COURAGE AND EMPATHY
University of Lodz, implementing its strategy and the values included in it, such as: respect, cooperation, curiosity, openness, courage and commitment, takes up an important social issue concerning our attitude towards animals and their place in the culture of the Anthropocene. A month and a half of autumn events co-organised with one of the largest and most active pro-animal organisations in Poland – the Otwarte Klatki Association will be the result of these activities.
photo: Stefano Belacchi
The premiere in Poland of the international exhibition "HIDDEN - Animals in the Anthropocene", created by a Canadian photographer and activist Jo-Anne McArthur with the participation of 40 photographers documenting the exploitation and suffering of so-called farm animals constitutes the main event of the project. The works have been collected into a photo album that has won a number of prestigious awards worldwide (including Photography Book of the Year 2020).
An estimated 80 billion land animals continue to be used and consumed by humans each year. The majority of these animals are raised and killed within industrial agricultural systems. Fish and other marine life are measured by tons. The University of Lodz has joined the project to raise awareness of the processes that bring animals to our tables, make clothes or become testers of the cosmetics and medicines that we use
– says Maciej Andrzejewski from the Communications and PR Centre at the University of Lodz, who is the originator of the idea of presenting the exhibition at the University of Lodz and one of the curators of the exhibition.
People close their eyes when they see a beaten dog, but they do not see the problem in the enormous suffering of animals on factory farms or those used for entertainment. I would like to show the truth through photography. If the law allows animal suffering, I put myself above it
– explains Andrzej Skowron (the second curator) from the Otwarte Klatki Association, who is a photographer and the author of some of the exhibited works.
photo: Andrzej Skowron
THE OPENING OF THE EXHIBITION AND THE ACCOMPANNYING PROGRAMME
The opening of the exhibition is accompanied by an open meeting with pro-animal activists and photographers (Jo-Anne McArthur and Stefano Belacchi / We Animals) involved in the creation of the project. The meeting (held in English) will begin at 7 p.m. at the Biedermann’s Palace and will be led by Patrycja Chuszcz. The event will be recorded and footage with Polish subtitles will be published on the university's YouTube channel.
The programme, thematically related to the exhibition, will be filled with meetings, workshops and film screenings organised in cooperation with scientists from the University of Lodz who are researching animal rights: Dr Łucja Lange from the Department of Sociology of Art (Faculty of Economics and Sociology) and Patrycja Chuszcz, a doctoral student at the University of Lodz Doctoral School of Humanities.
- On Friday (13 September) at 5:00 p.m. you will have a chance to visit the exhibition and take part in a curatorial tour.
- On Thursday (19 September) at at 6:00 p.m. at the Biedermann’s Palace screening of the Otwarte Klatki Association's film "Out of Sight, by the Forest" (go to the project website) directed by Nadina Dobrowolska, will begin. After the meeting, it will be possible to talk to representatives of the Association.
- On the following Thursday (26 September) also at 6:00 p.m. in the same location, a meeting will be held to discuss the book “Śmiałość i empatia” [Boldness and Empathy] by Elwira Sztetner and Dariusz Gzyra. The meeting will be hosted by Łucja Lange.
- On Thursday (10 October) at 6:00 p.m. there will be a meeting with dr Łucja Lange entitled "Wokół sztuki zaangażowanej — o upamiętnieniach osób zwierzęcych" [Around engaged art – on commemorating animal persons]
- On Sunday (13 October) a meeting about vegan cuisine at the Biedermann’s Palace is planned.
We will publish information about further accompanying events on an ongoing basis.
A HARD LESSON ON SUFFERING
The stories included in the HIDDEN project are brutal and eye-opening. The images serve as proof of the emergency confronting animals globally. They provide a valuable insight into the suffering of animals that results from human activity.
The Anthropocene is the proposed name for the current geological epoch. In this era, human activity is the dominant influence on climate, the environment and all life on earth
– reads the description of the exhibition.
"HIDDEN" is a platform for sometimes controversial photographs, but these are stories that are too important to be overlooked. By publishing them as an exhibition, these images can be seen by a wider audience. The project has the potential to influence animal welfare and humanity.
"HIDDEN" is a historical document, a memorial, and a call to action. It is proof of what is and what should never again be
– concludes Jo-Anne McArthur.
BIO OF JO-ANNE MCARTHUR
Jo-Anne McArthur is an award-winning photojournalist, the creator and co-editor of HIDDEN. She has been documenting the lives of animals for two decades. She has travelled to over 60 countries to photograph people’s complex and disturbing treatment of animals. She has served on the juries of World Press Photo and MontPhoto, and has received awards in the competitions: Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Nature Photographer of the Year, BigPicture, Pictures of the Year International (POYI) and the Global Peace Photo Award. Jo-Anne's work has been published by hundreds of media outlets, and she speaks internationally on the topic of the human-animal relationship, social change, and empathy. HIDDEN is her third book, following We Animals (2014) and Captive (2017).
Edit: Bartosz Kałużny (Communications and PR Centre, University of Lodz)
Thumbnail photo: Britta Jaschinski, others according to captions under the photos
The mission of the University of Lodz is to conduct reliable research and actively disseminate facts and research results so as to wisely educate future generations, be useful to society and courageously respond to the challenges of the modern world. Scientific excellence is always our best compass. Our values include: courage, curiosity, commitment, cooperation and respect.
