Since the 1980s, India’s vulture population has decreased by approximately 98%, unintentionally poisoned with Diclofenac, a painkiller used by farmers to keep cattle working harder and longer and increase milk production.
With the intention of including the vultures in the conversation about their demise and current ongoings on their land, one member from HP (Hillside Projects) reads the article “We Are Witnessing a Crime Against Humanity” by writer and activist Arundhati Roy to a committee of taxidermied Indian vultures part of the extensive vulture collection at The Alexander Koenig Zoological Research Museum in Bonn (DE). Roy’s text speaks of the political situation and the Covid pandemic in India during the spring of 2021.
The text was read from beginning to end with no pause.
Commissioned and produced in collaboration with Das Esszimmer - Raum fur Kunst (DE).
Developed with generous support from Helge Ax:son Johnsons Stiftelse, Konstakademin, IASPIS (The Swedish Arts Grants Committee) and Clark House Initiative.
Thank you to Sibylle Feucht, Das Esszimmer - Raum fur Kunst (DE), Saviya Lopes & Yogesh Barve, Clark House Initiative (IN), Tushar Parab, Riet van Gerven, SEA Foundation (NL) and Dr. Töpfner, König Zoological Research Museum (DE).
Direction: Hillside Projects (Emily Berry Mennerdahl & Jonas Böttern) Vidéographer: Robin Deutschbein. Edit: Hillside Projects Sound: Jonas Holmer Translation of Roy’s text into Swedish: Anna Tebelius