STATEMENT

After the heartbreaking news about the death of the last male northern white rhino on 19 March 2018, Ekaterina first reflected on the human-animal relationship.

As part of her research, in September 2019, she went on an expedition to Namibia where she explored seventeen species of wild animals. However, the focus of the study was not on animals but on human beings.

The local population and the tourists have a very different perception of the wildlife, they have different reasons to be attracted to the animals, as well as the ways to coexist and connect with them.
For the locals, captivity might mean the choice between life and death of the animal, and the only possibility to protect it from the tribes, who in turn are protecting their livestock. The tourists also may have a very different view of these relationships.

During the expedition, Ekaterina spent one whole day in Etosha National park exploring people's behavior and thoughts towards the animals they met. The most curious feedback she received was from one of the tourists who said: "I don't like it. It seems too easy, too artificial. The animals are so easy to find and look at!".

That comment opened a new branch of Ekaterina's research – the role of the animals in human life. Are they simply entertainment? Are they a way to human self-awareness? How do they influence our behavior and our feelings? This is something you can understand only facing an animal.

The work "Surrounded, They & Us" doesn't judge humanity, but instead asks the questions:
What do we feel when we are surrounded by wild animals?
What do the animals feel when surrounded by us?