Sara Vettorello

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Artist statement

My current artistic research stems from an immersive experience: from 2021, at an altitude of 1,450 metres on Monte Grappa, I spent months in close contact with the reality of life on the mountain pasture. In this isolation, the empathetic relationship with the animals sparked a critical reflection on the speed with which our relationship with the natural world has deteriorated, transforming the animal from a source of domestic sustenance into a cog in an intensive, mechanised system. For years, my research centered on animal exploitation and its hidden abuse. By depicting bodies that were increasingly anonymous and stripped of their identity, the purpose was to expose a daily reality of objectification of animal lives.

Recently, my research has been enriched by the study of indigenous cultures in South America, particularly the Kichwa concept of runa puma (jaguar-man). In this context, animals are seen as Selves, and the human body is just one of many that a Self can inhabit. The aim is to break down the boundary between observer and observed, between human and non-human animals. The focus is not on observing the animal, but on inhabiting the space of the relationship. Transcending the boundary between human and animal means breaking the anthropocentric hierarchy that positions us as external and ‘superior’ observers. My experience on Monte Grappa taught me that empathy does not arise from logical reasoning, but from a biological resonance, lost yet inherent in the human being. Through art, which I see as a universal language, I attempt to bring the human observer closer to non-human lives and nature. Only when we recognize nature as our original home, and all animals—human and non-human—as its fellow inhabitants, will we be able to cultivate an authentic respect and overcome the limits of anthropocentrism.