The Zoo Hypothesis

Hsu Che-Yu

The Zoo Hypothesis

Hsu Che-Yu

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. 

Infos

Language: Mandarin with English and German subtitles
World premiere

Sponsors and Supporters

Concept & Direction: Hsu Che-Yu
Dramaturgy: Betty Yi-Chun Chen
Script: Chen Wan-Yin
Production manager: Chen Yung-Shuang
Taxidermist: Huang Wen-Chieh
3D scanning: Solid Memory | KIDEN Design
Visual effects: TME STUDIO Wang Chien-Chao

Co-production by Taipei Performing Arts Center.

„Theater der Welt Frankfurt-Offenbach 2023“, ein Festival des Internationalen Theaterinstituts (ITI), wird veranstaltet von Künstlerhaus Mousonturm Frankfurt am Main, Schauspiel Frankfurt und Museum Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt, in Kooperation mit dem Amt für Kultur- und Sportmanagement der Stadt Offenbach am Main. Gefördert durch die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien, das Hessische Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst, die Stadt Frankfurt am Main – Dezernat für Kultur und Wissenschaft und den Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain.