‘The polar bears are siblings named Sizzel and Todz, who lived with their mother at the zoo. The window has a history: Vicks, their older brother, broke it by hitting it with a rock’
My work focuses on the relationships between humans and non-humans in contemporary society – not just animals, but plants and other species, from eels to tuna. In terms of animals, we keep them as pets, we eat them, we wear clothes made from them, we use them to make vaccines in laboratories – and we put them on display for entertainment.
This was taken in Blijdorp zoo in Rotterdam. There are two polar bears, one to the right and one to the left. They are siblings, named Sizzel and Todz, who used to live with their mother at the zoo. The space is arranged like a theatre. It’s rare for polar bear enclosures to have a dedicated viewing area like this. The window has a history: one bear, Vicks, the older brother of Sizzel and Todz, broke it by hitting it with a rock.
