“Before the cat that looks at me naked, would I be ashamed like a beast that no longer has the sense of its nudity? Or, on the contrary, like a man who retains the sense of his nudity? Who am I, therefore? Who is it that I am? Whom should this be asked of if not of the other? And perhaps of the cat herself?”—Jacques Derrida, The Animal That Therefore I Am

Polish artist Kasia Oleśkiewicz received a 2024 CAF grant for “Animal Gaze,” an exhibition that ran from March 27 to April 12, 2025 at Das Kleine Kunsthaus in Bern, Switzerland. Painstakingly sewing fabrics into recognizable beings, Kasia showcases at once our constructed selves, and how vulnerable yet resilient are the sinews that hold us together and bind us to one another.

In reflecting on the impact of the exhibition, Kasia writes:

Reflecting on the impact of the exhibition, I think first and foremost of the huge variety of emotions and reactions it evoked. Most visitors were very interested and enthusiastic, and either did not know of Jacques Derrida or had never heard of his work on animal issues. Those who did know his philosophy sometimes found the works very humorous—which again was very interesting, because my works usually come across as dramatic, painful, uncomfortable.

I was surprised to hear that some people found my exhibition daring, shocking, or provocative. It was very valuable for me to learn about these viewpoints and the power that nudity still carries—when it is naturalistic, wounded, or placed between the human and nonhuman body. I am really happy to have had interesting conversations and the opportunity to promote the work of Jacques Derrida, and I particularly appreciated the great interest in and understanding of anti-speciesist themes from visitors of very different ages.

It was the interesting location and form of the gallery that attracted people from outside this environment. Das Kleine Kunsthaus is a very small space, with a window open onto a rather busy street. Until midnight, after opening hours, the lights are on and passers-by were invited to view the exhibition. 

For more pictures, visit here. To read the booklet for the exhibition, click here. This project was supported by the Culture & Animals Foundation, Burgergemeinde Bern, and Kanton Bern, Canton de Berne.