A Wildlife Fantasy

Exhibition: from October 17, 2024, at Hangar-7

Andy Warhol's screen print portfolio "Endangered Species," which he created in the early 1980s, not only features the iconic screen print of an orangutan's head but also a series of other animals, from rhinoceroses and tigers to frogs.
Animals were already a theme in his drawings during his school days, and Warhol engaged with the threat to nature.

The urgency of this topic is also tangible in the exhibition at Hangar-7. As much as the wild and fantastical aspects of "wildlife" are apparent at first glance, or as we learn about mythical creatures, almost all artists also emphasize the ambivalence and urgency of the fauna they depict.

In our conversation, South African artist Jaco van Schalkwyk points out David Attenborough's documentary film "A Life on Our Planet." Jaco van Schalkwyk had the privilege of growing up in South Africa, one of the last wild areas in the world.
From a young age, he regularly visited national parks like Kruger National Park with his family. In this natural environment, he discovered his love for nature and art, which he impressively captures in his paintings.
The film by the English naturalist deeply touched him. "David Attenborough documents in a disturbing way how the state of the planet's natural resources is steadily deteriorating.
He ends with the sad statistic that only 35 percent of the original wilderness remains in the world today. He attributes the destruction of the planet to the enormous population explosion that exploits the world's resources and decimates biodiversity by attempting to cultivate crops."

Images of animals have existed since our ancestors drew them on cave walls. They have remained a central motif in art history to this day, whether reflecting societal issues of the time or showcasing the fascination with the wild animal's beauty and aesthetics.