Domestication Syndrome
Gallery: ShowUp
Location: Boston, MA
Curator: Amalya Megerman
Artists: Heather Baumbach, Amalya Megerman, Jessica Swank, Tyson Gentry, Ashley Rabanal, Annabel Turrado, Rochelle Voyles
Capitalism domesticates everyone within it who isn’t a powerbroker. When animals are domesticated, they exhibit a consistent set of traits: white spots, floppy ears, reduced aggression response, smaller jaws, brains, and snouts. In becoming a more “useful” animal whose every trait is molded to suit human needs, they become dependent and infantilized. While domestication is typically considered a process humans impose on animals, through capitalism, those of us without power undergo a “domestication” of sorts ourselves. Through a wide range of mediums and a diversity of artist perspectives, Domestication Syndrome examines how humans and animals alike are atomized and manipulated into more exploitable forms. We are de-fanged, our freedoms limited, our identities and communities fractured, and our abilities to amass political power hindered. The works explore this process and its effects, while also oftering ways that we may embody resistance.
Image credits to John Savoia courtesy of ShowUp
