Jolie van Wijngaarden – untitled

In 1996, Scientists developed artificial mice as an alternative to animal testing. Unfortunately, the plastic alternatives did not have the same flexibility as their peers of flesh and blood. Therefore, the industry never actually adopted the technique.

This project speculates about a world where this research kickstarted a global consensus on animal cruelty that would result in a world without pets. In this project, the artist researched different ways of having a pet, taking into account what we look for in them and what the downsides are of having a pet.

The artist’s creatures turned into objects with a suggestion of an actual animal. They can live forever, but also can be switched off and stowed away.