Als die Tiere den Wald verließen
by TAB

Already in the cartoon series of the same name, released in 1993, attention is drawn to the problem of the destruction of our planet by man and machine. The extinction of their habitat forces the animals to strive for a far-away paradise and to accept great dangers. In it, parallels can be drawn to our present: We humans seal our own destiny by following trends and technologies while taking no account of our environment. As a way out, we are looking for new habitats, even in foreign galaxies.

Far from accurate dating and scientific definition of our present age, it is clear that humans have become an essential factor that permanently influences the world. Their achievements bring forth new spaces and architectures with effects on our habitat, which sometimes only become apparent decades later, or even take place in the dark: server farms with dimensions of small towns change and destroy landscapes; we exchange emotions across our screens, but lose touch with them in reality; the boundaries between the digital and the real space are blurring. Our apartments are getting smarter, but how smart is that really?

"The Animals of Farthing Wood" deals with topics of our present society and transports them through stories and spatial installations. Three spaces exemplify the age of man as part of a collection of tales from a near future, in which our decisions in regard to the impact on our habitat are inevitable.