Behind the Bars:

Captivity, The Zoo, The Observers

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After years of avoiding zoos, we decided to visit one. Our intention was to raise awareness among visitors about the suffering of animals held captive for our benefit, our entertainment.

 

The photographs capture their distress being on display juxtaposed with the visitors' detachment from their suffering: Signs of distress in animals, stripped of their autonomy, often manifest as boredom, leading to compulsive behaviors or stereotypies, which are endlessly repeated movements like pacing, rocking, head bobbing, or excessive grooming. These behaviors are indicators of the mental effects of being confined, where animals are deprived of natural stimulation and living in the wild.

We chose to photograph from within the captivity, highlighting the disconnect of humans. 

 

A lack of empathy for non-human animals often results in an inability and indifference to recognize or respond to their suffering. This detachment can stem from cultural norms, traditions, misinformation, or viewing animals solely as objects for human exploitation or entertainment, rather than as sentient individual beings with their own intrinsic value and rights. We deliberately avoided using the animals as mere models and sought to advocate for their right to live freely in the wild and in sanctuaries.

 

By Dorit Jordan Dotan, Visual Artist, and Marc Perlish, Lens-Based Artist.  @2025