You're invited to join the opening of the group exhibition Pigs and Sheep and Beasts on Friday January 13th, 2023 at Nieuw Dakota. 

20:00 hrs | doors open
20:30 hrs | opening speech by director Ellis Kat and evolutionary biologist Tijs Goldschmidt
23:00 hrs | closing exhibition

Please RSVP here

Participating artists
Margriet van Breevoort
Kubilay Mert Ural
Philipp Schueller
Howie’s Mom
Paul Geelen
Elena Giolo
Janis Rafa
TierZoo
And also: Erno Eskens

Exhibition
In times of huge staff shortages, everyone needs to step up. Animals too. Many animals are already active in the job market, such as police horses and guide dogs for the blind, but it can't hurt to employ more species in different areas. So, the question on the table is: how do we bring out the best in animals? Encouraging the work ethic in animals is a necessary step in the revaluation and the emancipation of the animal, making it possible for animals to participate fully in a capitalist society that we humans are already so committed to. 

In the exhibition Pigs and Sheep and Beasts, eight artists present a visual motivational speech putting forward their animal to become 'employee of the year' in its own way. Nominations range from the rainbow crab in the 'love' category and the chicken and pig in the 'food' category, to the house snail in the 'cosmetics' category. Animals that have been excluded from the labour process for a long time also participate. Think of deep-sea animals, such as the horseshoe crab. It turns out to be possible to provide work for them too. 

Thus, this exhibition offers hope for all animals. Hope, because even the slowest, snails in this case, can do their bit for the common good if they pick up the pace.

Written by Erno Eskens

Thanks to
This exhibition is made possible by Mondriaan Fund, the Municipality of Amsterdam and AFK.