The Trade School for Taxidermy imagines a future with species going extinct one after the other, threatened by rising sea levels and climate change. The school anticipates the loss of a wide array of biological culture, and aims to preserve and display the stuffed corpses of contemporary animals for future generations. The project draws from the language of ships (or a Noah’s Ark), and arches. The deep basement a storage space reminiscent of a ship’s hull, the arches connecting to the visual
language of demonstration and showcase.
language of demonstration and showcase.
What does the interplay of work, art, and a serious pursuit of preserving knowledge for future generations look like? How does it feel to walk through a space were students, instructors, docents and community members alike rally around an activity typically regulated to museum professionals or niche hobbyists? How does the somewhat macabre; the stinky, smelly and gross transform itself into the creation of something beautiful? The examination of a school for taxidermy and preservation examines
the possibilities raised by those questions.
the possibilities raised by those questions.
