Radio Animal

In August 2007 Storey Gallery commissioned the artists Snæbjörnsdóttir/Wilson to undertake a period of research. The artists worked closely with various individuals observing the variety of relationships humans develop with their animal counterparts that become increasingly complex when animals encroach upon personal boundaries.

As a result of their research Snæbjörnsdóttir/Wilson proposed a two-phase project.

Phase one: Radio Animal - June - November 2009

Radio Animal is a touring radio programme, dedicated to the debate and documentation of human/animal relationships across Lancashire. Snæbjörnsdóttir and Wilson will go on the road inviting listeners to discuss their experiences of uninvited animals, whether these be problems, fears, fascinations, infestations etc. Guest speakers will be invited to spark debate as well as offer guidance, and animals themselves will also have their own 15 minutes of fame. Radio Animal will visit people's homes, summer fairs, pigeon-fancying competitions, agricultural shows, and town centres. It will map the feelings of people in the region towards the presence of rabbits, pigeons, deer, starlings, rats, mice, foxes etc., in what we perceive as ‘our’ environment.

This project brings together the opinions and perspectives of, amongst others, wild life enthusiasts, hunters, vegetarians, trappers, fishers, pet owners, dog breeders, farmers, and pest control departments. Radio Animal is a depository, a battery, a tool for knowledge and knowledge dissemination. It is a means of sparking debate and an attempt to make sense of our increasingly complex relationship with the animal world of which we are a part. 

Phase two will be an exhibition in the Gallery in 2010. Uncertainty in the City : Pests, Pets, and Prey.