Zohreh Baghban

Collage Artist, Teheran, Iran

“First, in the marine park I wondered what the dolphin might see when he paints. Second, I questioned the politics behind the science that meddles so freely with life. Third, I doubted the ever-present narratives and went on in search of my own through the pages of literature. Fourth, through my collages, I came out of the eyes to go inside animals.

 What does the cat see when she looks at me?! A hairless ape in funny rags, blindly stumping on everyone, breaking everything, and eating its way to extinction.

 Now, the clogs of time are catching up to us. Now, urgency is a historical concept for the planet we managed to destroy in our infancy. “We’re messmates”, Donna Haraway said once, “at a table”, to which I add: the legs are moldy, the ice cream is melting, and the mates are all dead or dying.

 Last, I ashamedly bow to my fellow species, in support of Ecocide Law.”