Hartmut Kiewert, German
Evolution of Revolution, 2012
In the series of works titled Ruinen (2011-2021), Kiewert develops an artistic, conceptual model of an “Animal Utopia” that rises out of mass destruction of capitalist frameworks bolstering the meat and dairy market. Throughout all of his works, Kiewert allows his identity as an anti-speciesist to filter through as he illustrates the agency and resistance of various animals in the face of daunting industrial interests. The painting shown is titled Evolution of Revolution and riffs on Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix. While Kievert himself “had a more ordinary view in mind of humans liberating animal” within the painting, an interviewer from Resistenza Animale interpreted the animals as liberating the human. It is easy to conceive the reasons for the latter interpretation, as the animals are leading the humans away from captivity and convey clear stances of resistance. The turkey opens his beak in a defiant scream, the lamb vaults over rocks, not halt its overconsumption of meat protein. Then the mental burden of working in such an environment during a pandemic and being forced to euthanize animals demonstrates the disturbing nature of big agriculture, in that Black and Brown individuals are disproportionately forced to face the realities of animal cruelty while the rest of society can remain complacent and the duck spreads its wings in freedom, and the goat stands proud on a slab of rock. Many more animals stand beside their counterparts with strength and emotion reflected in their eyes. Liberty is not just for humans, the lauded and glorified species. And the ducks, chicks, lambs, cows, pigs, rabbits, lambs, chickens, minks, turkeys will not yield to humans, but will fight until we follow them. Label by Eliza Madison