Grietje M. Hoogland

A silent movie in 14 acts is the main piece of the exhibition “Animal” by Anika Larsson at gallery Andréhn Schiptjenko. In this movie, accompanied by mechanic sounds, we see fursuiters – people who like to dress up in furry animal suits – in different situations, varying from the woods to parties. With a handheld camera using extreme angles and close-ups, Larsson shows how these people act while in these suits. It is somewhat alienating, not only because we cannot see who is hidden inside these suits, but also because of the used film technique.

Annika Larsson is an internationally known artist who has had exhibitions through Europe. Interesting about her work is that she films everyday situations and everyday people in this close technique of hers. This way these normal, everyday things become extracted from their original setting, making it weird, confusing or awkward to look at.
Larsson herself says about the alienating aspect of her work: “a cliché is something that we are supposed to see in a certain way. When you get close to it, it can have a new meaning – it is that twist I am interested in.” And indeed the appealing furry suits in “ANIMAL” can easily become a cliché when photographed or filmed, but in this movie she leaves room for thoughts about the social or philosophical aspects of this phenomenon.