The artistic practice of Melissa Van Havere revolves around animals. With her work she wants to question the current relationship and dynamics between human animals and non-human animals.
With her work she critiques the way us humans treat animals in our society.
The mass consumption and industrial farming, robbing birds and other animals of their freedom, using animals as test subjects, … All the ways we harm animals and disregard their emotions as if they are mere usable objects.
Her goal is to make people reflect on our relationship with the animals whom we share this earth with. She wants to raise awareness about the absurd and ‘inhumane’ way we treat them. It’s important to her to show animals as individuals with their own agency. By addressing this theme in a lighthearted manner, she hopes to spark empathy in people, so they can make conscious and compassionate changes considering animals in their daily life.
