Lin May Saeed's Posthumous Survey at Kunsthalle Bern Challenges Anthropocentric Art Traditions

From March 6 to May 10, 2026, Kunsthalle Bern will host an extensive exhibition of Lin May Saeed's artistic creations at its Helvetiaplatz venue. This showcase emphasizes the late artist's unique method of depicting animals, positioning them as equals to human figures rather than relegating them to symbolic or decorative roles. Saeed, who passed away in 2023, spent nearly twenty years honing her craft, utilizing materials such as styrofoam, steel, and charcoal to produce art that invites direct engagement rather than mere symbolic reading. Notable works include the 2018 sculpture 'Ameisenbär/Anteater', the 2016 steel wire piece 'St. Jerome and the Lion', and the 2021 mixed-media 'Barque'. Her art has been displayed globally in institutions like the Georg Kolbe Museum in Berlin and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, where her pieces challenge hierarchical species relationships, a theme relevant to ongoing discussions about speciesism.