Lin May Saeed's Posthumous Exhibitions Highlight Human-Animal Solidarity

German Iraqi artist and animal rights activist Lin May Saeed (1973–2023) critiqued Western hierarchies between humans and animals through drawings and sculptures where animals appear as active protagonists, not symbols. Her work draws on historical thinkers to question humanity's need to distinguish itself from nature. Using simple materials like Styrofoam, she intertwined mythological, religious, and activist narratives to propose compassionate coexistence. Saeed passed away just before her solo show "The Snow Falls Slowly in Paradise" opened at Georg Kolbe Museum in Berlin in 2023. Posthumous solo exhibitions include GAMeC in Bergamo (2024), Sapieha Palace in Vilnius (2025), and Buitenplaats Kasteel Wijlre (2025). Her work was also featured at Manifesta 15 in Barcelona (2024), Biennale Gherdëina 9 in Ortisei (2024), and the 9th Berlin Biennale (2016). Group exhibitions include Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt (2018), Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (2021), and Museo Castello di Rivoli (2018). Her works are held in major collections such as Centre Pompidou Paris, National Museum of Art in Oslo, Museum Folkwang in Essen, Westfälisches Landesmuseum, and the Collection of Contemporary Art of the Federal Republic of Germany.