Selfish Ape

Site Specific Installation. One Channel Video - 05:30, Loop. Edmond de Rothschild Center. Curator: Adi Yaniv. 3D: Idan Fima. Sound: Guy Moses. Performance: Amit Scharf. 2023. Photographer: Neta Cones

In this exhibition, Yuval Naor seeks to explore the force that led to the social practice that structures the relationships among humans and between humans and nature. This power is based on knowledge that is rooted in research, which according to Naor, has led to the widespread tendency to see human as the chimpanzee’s descendant. Naor returns to the basics and checks why the tendency is to link our own lives specifically with the chimpanzees – is that the convenient choice for us? Does it take away some of our responsibility for the choices we make?

As part of his artistic practice, Naor chooses to challenge technology on its “primitive side,” using its capabilities to examine the simple stuff. Here, he applies the wonders of technology in order to travel back and learn about beginnings. He appropriates a chosen point of departure, where he traces bonobo behavior and experiments with it using an avatar in his own image. He is attempting to understand what would have happened if the bonobo apes were the chosen model: Would the political power that drives us as a society be different? Would humans’ mutual interactions be otherwise? Would human society be compassionate and empathetic, sympathizing with the weak, refraining from war, dominated by women, and mostly making love?

Adi Yaniv

Installation view. Photographer: Aviv Pressburger

Inkjet archival print. 40X30cm