A sculpture of a taxidermy cat inside a glass jar, inspired by an infamous internet phenomenon.
The work draws inspiration from a controversial hoax website that provided instructions on how to raise a kitten in a jar by shaping its bones to fit the shape of the container. The cat would theoretically slowly grow into shape, much like pruning and shaping a bonsai tree.
When the Bonsai Kitten website first appeared in 2000, it sparked widespread outrage, particularly from animal rights activists who believed the claims to be real. The protests and demands for censorship grew so intense that the FBI launched an investigation into the website.
Although the story has been thoroughly debunked countless times, petitions to remove the website continue to circulate. Ironically, the backlash against the hoax has only amplified its infamy, with mirror sites proliferating and perpetuating the myth. This cycle of outrage, misunderstanding, and obfuscation feels emblematic of internet culture itself—a self-perpetuating echo chamber where misinformation and notoriety thrive.
In this reinterpretation, the taxidermy cat leans on a Manfrotto autopole, commonly used in photoshoots, emphasizing the staged and “photogenic” nature of the sculpture.
Installed at Kunstverein Wiesbaden.