From Nagel's Bat to TikTok Memes: Art and Social Media Explore Animal Consciousness
Valentina Tanni's recent article examines the impact of Thomas Nagel's 1974 essay "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?" on modern art and social media. Nagel posited that even with full scientific understanding, we cannot access the subjective experiences of other species. His work references Jakob von Uexküll's idea of umwelt, which describes the unique sensory world of each species. Artists such as Jana Winderen, who utilizes bat and insect ultrasound, and Sissel Tolaas, known for her olfactory installations, have investigated these sensory limits. Technologies like VR and MR are pivotal, exemplified by Marshmallow Laser Feast's 2016 piece "In the Eyes of the Animal," allowing audiences to see through the eyes of various creatures. The upcoming 2024 project "EchoVision," created by Botao Amber Hu and others, will simulate bat echolocation using mixed reality. In late 2025, the TikTok trend "To See What It Feels Like" featured users reenacting imagined animal experiences in their homes, showcasing bodystorming, a technique that encourages idea generation through physical engagement and challenges anthropocentric views.
Key facts
- Thomas Nagel published 'What Is It Like to Be a Bat?' in 1974.
- Nagel argued that the subjective experience of a bat is inaccessible to humans.
- Jakob von Uexküll introduced the concept of umwelt in the early 20th century.
- Jana Winderen creates sound works using ultrasound recordings of bats, insects, and marine animals.
- Sissel Tolaas builds olfactory environments based on chemical traces.
- Marshmallow Laser Feast's 'In the Eyes of the Animal' (2016) uses VR to adopt animal perspectives.
- 'EchoVision' (2024) by Botao Amber Hu et al. uses mixed reality to simulate bat echolocation.
- A TikTok meme trend 'To See What It Feels Like' emerged in late 2025, featuring users performing animal experiences.
- The article was published on Artribune in March 2026.
- Valentina Tanni is the author, an art historian and curator specializing in art and technology.
Entities
Artists
- Thomas Nagel
- Jakob von Uexküll
- Jana Winderen
- Sissel Tolaas
- Marshmallow Laser Feast
- Botao Amber Hu
- Jiabao Li
- Danlin Huang
- Jianan Johanna Liu
- Xiaobo Aaron Hu
- Yilan Tao
- Valentina Tanni
Institutions
- Artribune
- Politecnico di Milano
- NABA – Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti
Locations
- Italy