Is it possible to employ an animal as a readymade?

These films, selected by April Lamm, demonstrate the quasi-scientific mind of the artists in the act of observing animals – as if the news program “No Comment” were to focus its lens on the animal kingdom. Combined in a two-hour loop, the order of the films is based upon the nursery rhyme and memory game “There Was an Old Lady.”

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don’t know why she swallowed a fly. Perhaps she’ll die. There was an old lady who swallowed a spider that wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don’t know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she’ll die. There was an old lady who swallowed a bird. How absurd to swallow a bird …

Curated by April Lamm, the following artists were shown:

fly / Douglas Gordon

fly / Lucy Powell

spiders / Anri Sala

snail and worm / Ulrike Heise

sea horses / Jean Painlevé

frogs / Henrik Håkansson

octopuses / Jean Painlevé

newt /John Smith

finches / Carsten Höller

crow and pigeon / Julieta Aranda

chicken / Lucy Powell

sloth / Christoph Keller

pussy / Fischli/Weiss

monkey / Christoph Keller

donkeys / Douglas Gordon

cows / Franz Stauffenberg

horse / Anri Sala

bears / Werner Herzog

buffalo / Massimilian and Nina Breeder

elephant / Douglas Gordon

rhinoceros / Christoph Keller

lioness / Nina Pohl and Patricia Woerler-Horzon