Ask the Animals, and They Will Teach You, 2021. Polyester et technique mixte / Polyester and mixed media,, éd. 2/3, Hangar Y, Meudon/FR, 2024
“TO ADORE THE CHAMELEON
The chameleon is an old reptile species, living on Earth for about 100 million years.
Many chameleons can change color to express their state of mind or to communicate.
Chameleons have a 360° field of vision and thanks to their ballistic tongue, they can catch the heaviest preys with a speed of 0 to 95 kilometers in 1/100th of a second.”
—Jeremy Deller.
Ask the Animals, and They Will Teach You embodies a reflection on scientific and popular cultures with a fun and educational approach, typical of Jeremy Deller’s work. The artiste conceives this piece as a children’s play structure where they are invited to glide on the tongue-like slide of the chameleon. Ecological issues are discreetly underlying the monument which invites us to consider the collective remembrance of endangered species on the model of historical figures. In the vicinity of Hangar Y, the enlarged animal regains its place amidst the forest, but this time, as an interactive artwork.
The first version of Ask The Animals and They Will Teach You was installed in the centre of the Van Bunnenplein square, in Knokke-Heist, on the Belgian coast, on the occasion of the Beaufort 21 contemporary art triennial.