Tiziana Pers Saves Eleven Snails from Slaughter in Milan Exhibition

Tiziana Pers (Trivignano Udinese, 1974) presents 'ART_HISTORY/Municeddhe: le dormienti' at Prometeo Gallery Ida Pisani in Milan, running until January 12, 2023. The exhibition critiques the economic valuation of living beings by exchanging her artworks for the lives of eleven snails destined for the food industry, documented through formal contracts. The show includes paintings, photographs, and videos of the snails, with some works placed at awkward heights to force viewers into an active, empathetic engagement. Pers, co-founder and artistic director of RAVE East Village Art Residency, advocates for biocentrism and anti-speciesism, rejecting hierarchies among species. The residency has hosted artists like Adrian Paci, Regina José Galindo, and Tomás Saraceno. A critical text by philosopher Leonardo Caffo accompanies the exhibition, guiding visitors into the perspective of an 'artist snail.' The project extends Pers's ongoing 'Art_History' series, where art trades for animal lives, challenging art's commodification and asserting the incalculable value of a saved life.