The Lives of Animals

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“It is true that animals are usually not able to participate in their liberation, but they behave differently when they are liberated and have better living conditions.”
— Speaking Beyond Language: Lin May Saeed Interviewed

Carolee Schneemann

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08 June - 08 September 2024
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Carolee Schneemann (1939–2019) was an American artist and a pioneer of performance art, body art and feminist art. Inspired by feminist thinking, she took her personal stance or physical experience as a starting point and used her own body as a medium. Her work focuses on sexual expression and the ob­jectification of women, human suffering and the violence of war, and the entan­glement of animal and human lives. 

The series Infinity Kisses is a personal set of photos that Schneemann took of herself and her cat kissing intimately. She produced multiple series dedicated to her cats, blending these with other images depicting daily scenes. In Infinity Kisses – The Movie (2008), Schneemann plays with taboos surrounding female intimacy, sexuality and the relation­ships between humans and animals. She shows the central place that the cat occupies in her life as a companion and symbol. 

Exhibited work: 

Infinity Kisses – The Movie, 2008
Copyright the Carolee Schneemann Foundation
Courtesy Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI), New York

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