Shown at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Museo Villa dei Cedri, Bellinzona
Interested in human-animal relations and the related structures of power and abuse, Anita Mucolli has created two ad hoc installations exploring the theme of animal husbandry and domestication: Potential Players (2023), composed of two identical elements, and Power Games (2023). Inspired by the tables used in dog grooming salons, these works are full of references to different training practices: accessories halfway between leashes and threads, glass vials containing a pheromone-based liquid - a reference both to the supplements used to improve performance in horses and to the substances secreted by human glands that arouse sexual interest in other individuals - or even metal circles, halfway between collars and handcuffs, evoking the theme of animal instinct and desire. The tables are thus transformed into a mix of veterinary, surgical, and parlour furniture and, in a broader sense, into objects used for certain sexual practices, thereby exploring ethical-moral issues related to over-breeding and animal welfare, but also the objectification and fetishization of animals by humans.
