Found & Lost is an artist book exploring the relationships between humans and wild animals. In particular in situations when humans find seemingly helpless animals. There’s a very human urge to help according to our own needs. But should people intervene with wildlife? Can we project our own emotions on animals? Is the help even needed?
To answer these questions, I researched a variety of materials on animal behaviour, folklore and history, philosophy on human and nature relationships, and moral dilemmas that come with it. Reading through newspapers taught me about the general public’s approach to the topic.
The question is: what could be the basis of the decisions-making? Projecting human emotions on animals is not keeping animal interests in mind, so there must be better ways.
In order to find answers to these questions I created an artist book that provokes questions around or approach to other-than-humans and their needs. The conflict often arises from the anthropomorphisation of animals but in this work I wanted to push this idea to the limit when these human characteristics could actually evoke empathy and understanding that is helpful to animals.
The book contains visuals showing posters from the perspective of animals. The posters are accompanied by different objects from nature that connect the whole topic to real life. These posters are made up but these situations are very real, therefore incorporating bones, hairs, scales and plants, help it to be connected to reality.
Last but not least, the book has written texts that ask the reader questions to encourage them to form their own informed opinions. These are accompanied by 3D models that are crude interpretations of animals by humans. A p erspective of humans that is oftentimes very different from the one belonging to animals.