Is the parrot's voice their own?

For some time now, more-than-human political ecologies are having their moment across academic, curatorial, and artistic fields. In light of our most recent issue on "Hunting", this roundtable will narrow the focus; not on moss, microbes, or geological forces, but on the group we call animals.

Even though it has been established that animals carry situated knowledge, display intelligence and experience emotions, still something prevents them from becoming part of our political economy. How does artistic and curatorial practice grapple with our glaring inability to hear them?

In a relaxed roundtable setup with artist-filmmaker Quenton Miller, curator Sergi Rusca, and researcher Mariska Jung, we will explore how artistic and curatorial practices can engage animals not merely as symbols or subjects, but as agents. What situated knowledge do animals bring to an art work? What does it mean to give voice and agency to nonhuman animals, or to question the act of its possibility? And what common traps such as ventriloquism must we be wary of?

This conversation invites critical reflection the uneven terrain of interspecies world-making.

Programme outline

• 16:30 Walk-in
• 16:45 Introduction roundtable
• 16:55 Short film screening Koki, Ciao
• 17:05 Roundtable conversation
• 18:15 - 18:45 Borrel / drinks

About Simulacrum

Simulacrum is a quarterly arts and culture magazine based in Amsterdam, established in 1991. Each issue centers on a specific theme and features contributions from students, emerging writers, and experts across disciplines. The magazine publishes a range of content, including academic essays, interviews, columns, fiction, poetry, and visual art, all approached from both historical and contemporary perspectives. In addition to its print publication, Simulacrum functions as an online platform for upcoming art criticism, and organises events such as film screenings, symposia and launch gatherings to engage with its audience and foster a vibrant art writing community.