The Animal Within

Exhibition |

September 22, 2022 to February 26, 2023

The Animal Within

Creatures in (and outside) the mumok Collection

Curated by Manuela Ammer and Ulrike Müller

The mumok collection contains nearly five hundred works related to animals—a considerable quantity that raises the question of what kind of zoo the museum in fact is.

What is kept, researched, and displayed both here and there to protect “wild life” and the “freedom of art”? And in whose interest?

The Animal Within addresses such questions and uses the popular appeal of animals to reflect on the nature of sex, hunger, and affection, as well as on family and gender relations, socialization and domestication, and, not least, on the enduring impact of colonial history. Who leads whom on a leash? Who clips whose wings? Who scratches whose back?

The exhibition is thus less about animals than about bodies, moving or still, reclining or standing, crouching or crawling. The animal as a motif serves as a starting point to get to a materialist understanding of art and life. For in the Western world, “taming and framing” is what we do to mark our territories and claim our subjectivities.

Eine überdimensionierte Spinne mit sechs Beinen aus blauem Kustfell. Dahinter weitere Kunstwerke.

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Ausstellungsansicht: Das Tier in Dir

Foto: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

An oversized spider with six legs made of blue faux fur. Behind it, various works of art on the walls.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

Ein blau, gelbes Bild auf der linken Wand. Rechts eine Wandinstallation. Dahinter weitere Kunstwerke.

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Ausstellungsansicht: Das Tier in Dir

Foto: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

In the foreground, a large-format painting with a blue and red abstract figurative representation. Behind it a wall installation.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

A tube television on a base. Seven pictures on the left wall. A black and red painting with abstract figures in the centre. An abstract sculpture in front of it. Two brown and orange paintings on the right-hand wall.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

A sculpture in the foreground. Two works of art on a base. Pictures and paintings hang on the walls.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

In the centre is a white table with works of art on it. Behind it, works of art on the walls and works of art on a large white base.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

A large white plinth area on the right. Works of art on it. Behind it pictures on the walls.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

On the right, a picture with two red animals on a blue background. In the centre, two sculptures in the form of a laid table and a reading chair. Behind them are two further works of art. On the left, a sculpture on a base.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

Various sculptures on a white pedestal. An installation in the form of a laid table in the foreground.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

Eight small-format drawings in the centre of the wall. In front and to the right, three works of art on bases and on the floor. Pictures hang on the walls in the background.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

diverse Bilder und Gemälde auf den Wänden. Davor ein Kunstwerk auf einem Sockel. Eine weitere Skulputur mittig auf dem Boden platziert.

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Ausstellungsansicht: Das Tier in Dir

Foto: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

In the foreground, six works of art on a base. Behind them two more works of art. Four pictures hang on the wall.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

In the foreground, a sculpture made of wood and a colourful carpet on the floor. Behind it, an abstract metal sculpture. In the background, three framed photos and seven other small-format pictures.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

Two sculptures on the floor. Various pictures and paintings in different sizes and techniques on the exhibition walls.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

A sculpture stands on the floor in front of a white, lilac-coloured wall with paintings.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Foto: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

A large-format colourful picture with collages. Next to it, a figurative metal sculpture on a white pedestal. Behind it, another colourful work of art.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

A wall installation on the right-hand side. In front of it a sculpture made of red fabric. A metal sculpture on a base in the centre. Behind it, four pictures depicting babies. A colourful picture on the left.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

[Translate to English:] Eine figürliche Metallskulptur auf einem weißen Podest im Vordergrund. Dahinter eine Plastik aus rotem Stoff. Zwei Wandinstallationen auf der rechten Wand. Zwei Bilder mit Baby-Darstellungen auf der linken Wand.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

An oversized spider made of blue fur. Behind it, a work of art on the wall.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

On the left, a figurative sculpture in snake look. On the right, a picture with two ladies and a snake. Further works of art in the background.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

Two works of art on a white base. In between, three pictures and a brown sculpture. A large-format picture in the background.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

Two colourful abstract paintings in the foreground. Photographs behind them on the right. More works of art in the background on the left.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

A colourful figurative painting on the left wall. Behind it six photographs.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

Colourful paintings on several wall levels in the background. Two abstract sculptures in the foreground with faux furs. Further works of art on the walls in the background.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

A large-format colourful picture in the foreground with a parrot. Nine drawings in the background.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

A photo of a tattoo in the shape of a bird on the left. A blue and red work of art on the right. Behind it another picture.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

Three colourful paintings in the background. An abstract work of art in front of it. On the right in the foreground, a sculptural depiction of a tiger on the wall.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

An abstract work of art in the centre of the floor. Behind it are several colourful pictures.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

An abstract work of art in the centre of the floor. Behind it more works of art.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

A sculptural depiction of a tiger on the front right-hand wall. Behind it two works of art and an abstract sculpture in front of it.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

A three-dimensional wall sculpture in the shape of a tiger. Behind it on the right is a painting of a nude and a tiger. In the background on the left is an abstract work of art in the shape of a red face.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

A large orange picture on the right-hand side with two figures in costumes. In front of it, a pink work of art on a base. More pictures in the background.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

Two large-format pictures in the centre. Next to it a work of art on a base. Further small-format pictures to the left and right.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

Two large-format pictures on the left and in the centre. In between, three further small-format pictures. A figurative sculpture in front of further pictures in the background.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

An abstract sculpture in the foreground. Behind it, works of art on the walls.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

An abstract figurative sculpture in the foreground. Behind it, works of art on the wall. In the background, an oversized red face on the wall.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

A painting in the centre. Another small-format painting to the right. Another work of art on the wall in the background.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

White, grey walls. A series of photos on the left wall. Two more photos on the centre wall.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

Two sculptures in the foreground. Behind them on the right are several pictures on the wall.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

Two sculptures in the centre of the exhibition space: a sculpture made of metal dogs in the front, behind it a massive round wooden table with animal fur pieces on it. Various pictures on the walls in the background.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

Two beige pictures of dogs hang in the background. In the foreground an abstract sculpture of metal dogs.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

In the centre of the room is a solid, round wooden table. Pieces of animal fur lie on it. Various paintings and photographs hang on the walls in the background.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

White-grey exhibition walls. In the background on the left is a video projection showing two camels. In the centre is a sculpture in the form of a camel skeleton. Behind it on the right are two pictures with abstract forms and a painting in red, brown and black colours.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within
Photo: Stephan Wyckoff, © mumok

A black painting with the yellow outline of an animal hangs on the left-hand wall of the exhibition; in the background is a red and black painting depicting a bear. On the right side of the room is an artificial skeleton of a camel.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

White exhibition room with paintings in various formats on the walls. An abstract sculpture is placed in the centre of the room.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

White-grey exhibition walls with paintings in different formats and colours. White pedestals with abstract sculptures are placed in the centre of the room.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

White-grey exhibition walls. Various drawings in orange and white on the left wall. On the right four more pictures. In the centre a metal sculpture on a white pedestal and an empty white pedestal next to it. Video projection in the background.

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A large white-grey pedestal in the foreground. Behind it hang six pictures and two sculptures on the walls.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

Three abstract, colourful paintings depicting animals hang on the wall. In front of them is a small white and green box with a picture of a cockerel on the floor.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

An orange painting on a white wall in the foreground. Behind it, more works of art.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

A large blanket with a blue and green wave pattern on the floor. Hidden underneath are stuffed animals. Two paintings hang on the walls behind it. One shows an abstract female head with long blonde hair and a text. The other is an abstract depiction of an animal with antlers.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

A large-format piece of fabric with a brown, green and blue wave pattern. Lying in the centre of the floor. On the exhibition wall behind it hang twelve smaller pictures with abstractly painted animal motifs.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

A large-format fabric with a green and blue wave pattern lies on the exhibition floor. Beneath it are invisible stuffed animals that make the fabric appear undulating. On the walls behind it are various pictures in different sizes.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

In the foreground is a large-format ceiling in blue, brown and green wave patterns on the floor. Behind it, various photographs and drawings hang on the walls. On the right is a picture of a deer.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

On the floor is a large-format blanket with a blue and green wave pattern. Behind it, five portraits with a yellow background hang on the wall. To the right is a picture of a deer. On the floor are two sculptures in the form of white rectangular boxes with simplified depictions of two animals.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

In the foreground is a sculpture in the shape of a green house with orange stripes. The painting at the back left shows an abstract stag with antlers. Seven framed drawings hang on the wall at the back right.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

Hanging on the walls in the background are 22 small-format pictures. In front of them stands an abstract sculpture on a high white pedestal. In the foreground is a sculpture made of a metal frame in the shape of an animal.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

In the foreground, two sculptures in abstract animal shapes. A tube television is placed on a pedestal in the background. Small-format paintings hang on the walls to the right and left of it.

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An orange-brown tapestry with a picture of a cat hangs in the background on the left. To the right are 3 abstract paintings. In the foreground a sculpture made of metal frames.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

On each of the exhibition walls on the left and right, there are three works of art consisting of photographs, text on paper and two-dimensional sculptures. An abstract figure made of a metal frame and pieces of plastic fur is placed on the floor.

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Exhibition View: The Animal Within

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The Animal Within

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mumok is closed until June 6, 2024 for renovation work.

The Animal Within

The mumok collection contains nearly five hundred works related to animals—a considerable quantity that raises the question of what kind of zoo the museum in fact is.