Algernon’s Flowers
Germany
2022
Algernon’s Flowers focuses on the life of mice and rats used in the name of science. The series combines photographs from a laboratory animal centre and pictures of fading flowers to open a dialogue around the ethical flaws of animal testing. The title of the project was inspired by the American writer Daniel Keyes’ novel Flowers for Algernon (1969), where a man and a mouse undergo the same experiment to increase their intelligence. The themes addressed in the book are highly relevant today in a society that values rationality and intelligence over love and empathy. Through this series, the artist pays tribute to the animals sacrificed for medical research, expressing his belief that all life is sacred.
With the support of Goethe-Institut.
Portfolio
About the artist
A photographer and writer born in 1989 in Germany, Dominik Fleischmann studied photography in Berlin. Now based in Helsinki, Finland, he has spent time in animal sanctuaries across the globe researching the relationship between humans and nature. His work combines a documentary approach with a lyrical narrative and draws inspiration from nature writers, ecofeminism, poetry and environmental activism.