Hsu Che-Yu

(Taipei)

The Zoo Hypothesis

Mousonturm Studio 1

Lecture-Performance

A taxidermist talks about his work and describes the lives of animals that died long ago. His story charts the progress of a wild horse, a chimpanzee, and an orangutan through wars and into the zoos and animal parks that have shaped and homogenized how humans view the world. After years of studying animals in laboratories, zoos, and rehabilitation projects, artist Hsu Che-Yu was commissioned by Theater der Welt 2023 to research the history of zoos in Germany and Taiwan. ‘The Zoo Hypothesis’ consists of a video installation and a lecture performance that explore the role of technology in archiving the world and human memory construction. At its center lie the tense relationships between animals and humans, and between matter and memory. 

Duration: ca. 50 Min.
Language: Englisch