Vincent van Gaalen

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Civlized - Attraction gaat over de aantrekkingskracht van door ons gecreëerde licht. Het elektrische kunstlicht waarmee wij een nieuwe tijd in gingen gaf ons onbegrensde mogelijkheden. Niet langer waren wij gebonden aan het natuurlijke ritme van dag en nacht. De lamp bracht licht in het duister en daarmee kent onze vooruitgang geen tijd meer. Het kunstlicht geeft ons veiligheid en oriëntatie. De mens heeft zich ermee vereenzelvigd en we klampen ons eraan vast. Maakt dit ons afhankelijk en kunnen wij nog zien buiten onze verlichte wereld?

(work in progress)

(work in progress)

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Where there is man, there is fire. The fire we once learned to harness and which brought us progress is now burning like never before. The nighttime skies pale at artificial light and the natural cycle of day and night is disappearing at an alarming pace. Natural darkness now is only found at the very edges of our existence, where the absence of man can still be felt.

Control Freaks Man as Creator ‘Control Freaks’ arises from my interest in the relationship between man and animal – the animal that nowadays is being increasingly transformed into a product which must satisfy our needs. We breed animals on the basis of external characteristics which serve to provide us with the desired experience. The animal’s appearance is important for the ‘nature’ that we instinctively attribute to it. In this way we are able to personify animals. We have given domestic animals the identity which we like to see in them, an identity which suits us. Because of this pets are completely alienated from nature and have become a product. In many instances very little remains of the animal’s original outward appearance. With this project I want to hold up a mirror to people. It is my goal to elucidate man’s relationship to animals. I try to demonstrate the consequences our assumption of the role of creator has and to show the inadequacies with regard to responsibility and a long-term vision. Bald Breeds: The animals’ hairlessness was created in laboratories where the animals were bred for this specific quality. Originally this was done to aid animal experiments, but later this curious characteristic was used to market a perverse concept of beauty in pets. Animals are being bred and sold for this specific reason, their hairlessness. Hairlessness is a great disadvantage with regard to the health of the animals. Not only are they no longer able to stay warm, they are also much more vulnerable to infections and other ailments. Their coat – their natural protection against these things – has been taken from them, rendering them entirely dependent on man. These animals would not survive for long if they were not artificially protected and kept warm. This makes these animals extremely vulnerable.

Control Freaks Man as Creator ‘Control Freaks’ arises from my interest in the relationship between man and animal – the animal that nowadays is being increasingly transformed into a product which must satisfy our needs. We breed animals on the basis of external characteristics which serve to provide us with the desired experience. The animal’s appearance is important for the ‘nature’ that we instinctively attribute to it. In this way we are able to personify animals. We have given domestic animals the identity which we like to see in them, an identity which suits us. Because of this pets are completely alienated from nature and have become a product. In many instances very little remains of the animal’s original outward appearance. With this project I want to hold up a mirror to people. It is my goal to elucidate man’s relationship to animals. I try to demonstrate the consequences our assumption of the role of creator has and to show the inadequacies with regard to responsibility and a long-term vision. Bald Breeds: The animals’ hairlessness was created in laboratories where the animals were bred for this specific quality. Originally this was done to aid animal experiments, but later this curious characteristic was used to market a perverse concept of beauty in pets. Animals are being bred and sold for this specific reason, their hairlessness. Hairlessness is a great disadvantage with regard to the health of the animals. Not only are they no longer able to stay warm, they are also much more vulnerable to infections and other ailments. Their coat – their natural protection against these things – has been taken from them, rendering them entirely dependent on man. These animals would not survive for long if they were not artificially protected and kept warm. This makes these animals extremely vulnerable.

Control Freaks Man as Creator ‘Control Freaks’ arises from my interest in the relationship between man and animal – the animal that nowadays is being increasingly transformed into a product which must satisfy our needs. We breed animals on the basis of external characteristics which serve to provide us with the desired experience. The animal’s appearance is important for the ‘nature’ that we instinctively attribute to it. In this way we are able to personify animals. We have given domestic animals the identity which we like to see in them, an identity which suits us. Because of this pets are completely alienated from nature and have become a product. In many instances very little remains of the animal’s original outward appearance. With this project I want to hold up a mirror to people. It is my goal to elucidate man’s relationship to animals. I try to demonstrate the consequences our assumption of the role of creator has and to show the inadequacies with regard to responsibility and a long-term vision. Bald Breeds: The animals’ hairlessness was created in laboratories where the animals were bred for this specific quality. Originally this was done to aid animal experiments, but later this curious characteristic was used to market a perverse concept of beauty in pets. Animals are being bred and sold for this specific reason, their hairlessness. Hairlessness is a great disadvantage with regard to the health of the animals. Not only are they no longer able to stay warm, they are also much more vulnerable to infections and other ailments. Their coat – their natural protection against these things – has been taken from them, rendering them entirely dependent on man. These animals would not survive for long if they were not artificially protected and kept warm. This makes these animals extremely vulnerable.

Control Freaks Man as Creator ‘Control Freaks’ arises from my interest in the relationship between man and animal – the animal that nowadays is being increasingly transformed into a product which must satisfy our needs. We breed animals on the basis of external characteristics which serve to provide us with the desired experience. The animal’s appearance is important for the ‘nature’ that we instinctively attribute to it. In this way we are able to personify animals. We have given domestic animals the identity which we like to see in them, an identity which suits us. Because of this pets are completely alienated from nature and have become a product. In many instances very little remains of the animal’s original outward appearance. With this project I want to hold up a mirror to people. It is my goal to elucidate man’s relationship to animals. I try to demonstrate the consequences our assumption of the role of creator has and to show the inadequacies with regard to responsibility and a long-term vision. Dog Breeds: The dog is the first domesticated animal and therefore closest to man. As such dog is the animal that is most subject to man’s desire to control and manipulate. The many physical ailments and disabilities of these animals are to be blamed on our self-interest and delusions of nature’s manipulability. The result of this are freaks, which we paradoxically consider beautiful creatures because we are blinded by our overestimation of ourselves.

Control Freaks Man as Creator ‘Control Freaks’ arises from my interest in the relationship between man and animal – the animal that nowadays is being increasingly transformed into a product which must satisfy our needs. We breed animals on the basis of external characteristics which serve to provide us with the desired experience. The animal’s appearance is important for the ‘nature’ that we instinctively attribute to it. In this way we are able to personify animals. We have given domestic animals the identity which we like to see in them, an identity which suits us. Because of this pets are completely alienated from nature and have become a product. In many instances very little remains of the animal’s original outward appearance. With this project I want to hold up a mirror to people. It is my goal to elucidate man’s relationship to animals. I try to demonstrate the consequences our assumption of the role of creator has and to show the inadequacies with regard to responsibility and a long-term vision. Dog Breeds: The dog is the first domesticated animal and therefore closest to man. As such dog is the animal that is most subject to man’s desire to control and manipulate. The many physical ailments and disabilities of these animals are to be blamed on our self-interest and delusions of nature’s manipulability. The result of this are freaks, which we paradoxically consider beautiful creatures because we are blinded by our overestimation of ourselves.

Control Freaks Man as Creator ‘Control Freaks’ arises from my interest in the relationship between man and animal – the animal that nowadays is being increasingly transformed into a product which must satisfy our needs. We breed animals on the basis of external characteristics which serve to provide us with the desired experience. The animal’s appearance is important for the ‘nature’ that we instinctively attribute to it. In this way we are able to personify animals. We have given domestic animals the identity which we like to see in them, an identity which suits us. Because of this pets are completely alienated from nature and have become a product. In many instances very little remains of the animal’s original outward appearance. With this project I want to hold up a mirror to people. It is my goal to elucidate man’s relationship to animals. I try to demonstrate the consequences our assumption of the role of creator has and to show the inadequacies with regard to responsibility and a long-term vision. Dog Breeds: The dog is the first domesticated animal and therefore closest to man. As such dog is the animal that is most subject to man’s desire to control and manipulate. The many physical ailments and disabilities of these animals are to be blamed on our self-interest and delusions of nature’s manipulability. The result of this are freaks, which we paradoxically consider beautiful creatures because we are blinded by our overestimation of ourselves.

Control Freaks Man as Creator ‘Control Freaks’ arises from my interest in the relationship between man and animal – the animal that nowadays is being increasingly transformed into a product which must satisfy our needs. We breed animals on the basis of external characteristics which serve to provide us with the desired experience. The animal’s appearance is important for the ‘nature’ that we instinctively attribute to it. In this way we are able to personify animals. We have given domestic animals the identity which we like to see in them, an identity which suits us. Because of this pets are completely alienated from nature and have become a product. In many instances very little remains of the animal’s original outward appearance. With this project I want to hold up a mirror to people. It is my goal to elucidate man’s relationship to animals. I try to demonstrate the consequences our assumption of the role of creator has and to show the inadequacies with regard to responsibility and a long-term vision. Dog Breeds: The dog is the first domesticated animal and therefore closest to man. As such dog is the animal that is most subject to man’s desire to control and manipulate. The many physical ailments and disabilities of these animals are to be blamed on our self-interest and delusions of nature’s manipulability. The result of this are freaks, which we paradoxically consider beautiful creatures because we are blinded by our overestimation of ourselves.

Control Freaks Man as Creator ‘Control Freaks’ arises from my interest in the relationship between man and animal – the animal that nowadays is being increasingly transformed into a product which must satisfy our needs. We breed animals on the basis of external characteristics which serve to provide us with the desired experience. The animal’s appearance is important for the ‘nature’ that we instinctively attribute to it. In this way we are able to personify animals. We have given domestic animals the identity which we like to see in them, an identity which suits us. Because of this pets are completely alienated from nature and have become a product. In many instances very little remains of the animal’s original outward appearance. With this project I want to hold up a mirror to people. It is my goal to elucidate man’s relationship to animals. I try to demonstrate the consequences our assumption of the role of creator has and to show the inadequacies with regard to responsibility and a long-term vision. Dog Breeds: The dog is the first domesticated animal and therefore closest to man. As such dog is the animal that is most subject to man’s desire to control and manipulate. The many physical ailments and disabilities of these animals are to be blamed on our self-interest and delusions of nature’s manipulability. The result of this are freaks, which we paradoxically consider beautiful creatures because we are blinded by our overestimation of ourselves.