The term "extimacy" is an English translation of the French neologism "extimité" coined by the psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan. The term describes a space of intimate exteriority, where the subject's interior is excluded and experienced outside the self. It is also a yearning to reconnect with what has been removed from the interior.

 

In contemporary society, we have separated the animal from the self and have replaced the living and breathing animal with "visual representations". As we face ever-growing species extinction, our screens have become bombarded with them. Does this fascination represent a repressed desire for primordial encounters with animals? Do we hope to revitalize our numbed connection with the natural environment? Are we looking to rediscover what has been lost from ourselves?

 

In this video, the concept of extimacy is positioned between human and animal worlds to consider questions about how we relate to animal-others. How do we look at them? How much do we really know about them?

 

By simulating extimate encounters, the work demands new ways of looking at animals. Bodily rhythms, such as breath and heartbeat, remind us of our shared connections with animals, while abstract visuals deny easy recognition. The video installation reminds us that animals are both familiar and strange.​​