Shifters
Poland
2022
The SHIFTERS project is a reflection on animal spies, animals in the military, history from animals’ point of view and animal agency. It started as an archival research and a collection of articles about animal spies. Suspicious squirrels, spying dolphins, nuclear lizards and photographer pigeons – all these animals were accused of spying in mainstream media. Marta Bogdańska investigates the use of animals as soldiers, spies, police and kamikazes. She is interested in analysing the meaning of the term ‘agent’ itself: a spy with an active role. Her aim is to create a link between the multifaceted history of animals in war and that of the liberation of animals and animal rights. The core of this project is gathered in a 14-chapter artist book of 850 pages.
Portfolio
About the artist
Marta Bogdańska is a visual artist, photographer and filmmaker born in 1978 in Poland. She holds an MA in philosophy and a diploma in gender studies from Warsaw University. She graduated from several university programs in photography and followed the Home Workspace Program in Beirut. She is also a member of Futures Photography, Women Photograph and the Archive of Public Protests. In 2021, she published a 850-page photography book entitled SHIFTERS.