From Critical Art to an Art of Reconciliation: Cohabitation with Non-Human Animals

If art has been instrumental in the formation and sedimentation of the naturalist conception of the world, it also has the power to break it apart by participating in the invention of viable relationships with living beings. But what paths may we take to replace the naturalist relationship with healthier, more enriching, and more intense connections with non-humans? By what means and under what conditions can art best produce an enduring transformation in our rapport with other living creatures and the rest of the world? It is from this perspective that I will examine the work of contemporary American artist Fritz Haeg.