Anima

Activity Book

Anima

“At night, I turn into an animal...”

Anima is an immersive installation gathering artists, magicians, and explorers to question the difference between men and animals and the very notion of soul.

The exhibition Anima is a meditation of the soul as expressed by K’in Obregón, a legend-ary Lacandon figure. K’in Obregón is a major character among the Lacandon Maya who have lived for centuries in Central American Forests. Valentine Losseau, an anthropologist and dra-matist, has been working with K’in Obregón’s family for seven years and spoke with them about his strange and mysterious life shortly before his death.

According to legend, K’in Obregón was invited to the 1937 Exposition Universelle (Paris World Fair) in Paris to be exhibited as a “native” in what today might be called “a human zoo”.

Anima uses the story of this mysterious figure as a starting point to explore the distinction between animate and inanimate, human and animal, naturalism and animism. Children will enter a world of myth and magic, surrounded by forests and archeology.

Everyone is invited to consider the question: what if the relationship between humans and animals was one of equality? What if animals did have souls? 

This project was conceived in July 2015, during a meeting in the Lacandones forest between anthropologist Valentine Losseau and Prune Nourry, an artist-in-residence at The Invisible Dog Art Center. Following a second exploratory trip, they invited several artists from different fields to work together to create this experience in the heart of New York City.

Prune Nourry, artistValentine Losseau, dramatist & anthropologist, La Cie 14:20

Raphaël Navarro, magician, La Cie 14:20 Etienne Saglio, magician

Takao Shiraishi, artistBenjamin Gabrié, scenographer

My name is K´in Obregón. When I was born, I was named K´in. In my language, K´in means “Sun”. One day, some people came to my vil-lage and said: “From now on, your name will be Obregón.” It sounded strange and a little funny. That is why I have two names now.

These people came from far away. They didn’t speak the same language as me, and they were afraid of the jungle. Not me. The forest is my home and I know every single animal and plant that lives here. I am a Maya, and my people have been living in the forest for centuries. We’ve become used to life in the forest. In fact, we love it there, and what we fear most is that our beloved forest might one day disappear. That day, all the plants will be gone and we will be left without a home.

It also makes me sad to think that the animals will lose their home, too. My people have a special bond with animals. When I was just a small child, my parents told me that I had a totem animal. They told me that the animal lived in the forest and that our fates would forever be intertwined. Every child from my village has one. Mine is a peccary (a sort of wild pig). My brother’s totem animal is a silver fish, and my sister’s, a spider monkey. In my culture, animals are considered to be part of the family. The women breastfeed animals the same way they would their baby.

At night, I turn into an animal. In my dreams, I walk the forest, I search for food, I hunt, I drink water from the river. Sometimes, I see my father as a macaw parrot or my sister as a jaguar. If I bump into her then I usually run away so she doesn’t eat me!

The people who came from far away thought this was very strange. One day, they invited

me to come to their country, far, far away. I was curious to see

their world. That’s when they exhibited me in a human zoo.

Maybe they thought I was an animal.

When I came back, I didn’t know what to think. I told my family about my adventure, but they didn’t under-stand what a zoo was, or why people would want to watch me.

For us, humans are no better than plants or

animals. We are all equal because we all live together,

in the forest. That’s why I like to turn into an animal, because

that way, I can see the world through different eyes.

My name is K´in Obregón. When I was born, I was named K´in. In my language, K´in means “Sun”. One day, some people came to my vil-lage and said: “From now on, your name will be Obregón.” It sounded strange and a little funny. That is why I have two names now.

These people came from far away. They didn’t speak the same language as me, and they wer afraid of the jungle. Not me. The foresis my home and I know every singlanimal and plant that lives herI am a Maya, and my peoplhave been living in the foresfor centuries. We’ve becomused to life in the forest. Ifact, we love it there, anwhat we fear most is thaour beloved forest mighone day disappear. Thaday, all the plants will bgone and we will be lefwithout a home.

It also makes me sad tthink that the animalwill lose their home, toMy people have a special bonwith animals. When I was jusa small child, my parents told mthat I had a totem animal. They tolme that the animal lived in the fores and that our fates would forever be intertwine Every child from my village has one. Mine is a peccary (a sort of wild pig). My brother’s totem animal is a silver fish, and my sister’s, a spider monkey. In my culture, animals are considered to be part of the family. The women breastfeed animals the same way they would their baby.

At night, I turn into an animal. In my dreams, I walk the forest, I search for food, I hunt, I drink water from the river. Sometimes, I see my father as a macaw parrot or my sister as a jaguar. If I bump into her then I usually run away so she doesn’t eat me!

The people who came from far away thought his was very strange. One day, they invited

e to come to their country, far, ar away. I was curious to see

heir world. That’s when they xhibited me in a human zoo.

aybe they thought I was n animal.

hen I came back, I idn’t know what to hink. I told my family bout my adventure, ut they didn’t under-tand what a zoo was, r why people would ant to watch me.

or us, humans are no etter than plants or

nimals. We are all equal ecause we all live together,

n the forest. That’s why I like o turn into an animal, because

hat way, I can see the world through ifferent eyes.

2

GA

ME

3

GA

ME

1

GA

ME

Who are the Maya? “I, K’in Obregón, am a Maya. The Maya people have been living in the forest, in Latin America, for centuries.”

Life in the forest. Draw a line between the picture and the corresponding activity.

At night, in my dreams, I turn into an animal. Imagine here your dreams as your totem animal and tell us more about your adventures in the jungle and who you would meet.

Cook

Drink

Sleep

Fish

Cultivate

Play

In our culture, we all have an animal we identify to: it is called a “totem animal”. Our destinies are deeply connected. Choose yours.

Spider monkey

Jagu

ar

Fish

Toucan

Or invent your own!

Peccary

1

6

GA

ME

4

GA

ME

5

GA

ME

Naturalism Animism

Animism & Naturalism “Where I live, animals are as important as human beings. But some people think differently. Some think that humankind is superior. In the forest, we think that plants, animals, and humans are equal. This is called Animism.”

2

Do you think there should be such a hierarchy?

You can also represent Animism as a circle.Place a human, a plant, and an animal where you want.

This is how we the Maya live in harmony in the forest.

Help them find their way home!

8

GA

ME

7

GA

ME

This is what I was seeing:

Me, as K’in Obregón? Or my totem animal, the peccary?

When I came home, they told me I had been exhibited like an animal. What’s so wrong with that, I thought ? I began to wonder: what is the difference between a human, an animal and a plant?

Who are they? Name these creatures and draw your own hybrid.

A human zoo? “One day, some strangers came and took me away. They wanted to display me in a zoo, in their country.”

What did they see when they looked at me?

3

Does that seem strange to you? What do you think?

9

GA

ME

Who has an “Anima”? “The Anima is a natural force that breathes life into all living things around you.

Some people think that the difference between humans and animals is that humans have a soul and animals don’t.

Where I live, we believe that animals, trees and humans all have souls. But different beliefs can coexist in the same country.”

If you could draw a soul for each of the pictures beneath, what would it look like?

4

Looking through the eyes…“Today, there are people who are trying to put the forest inside a cage…

Connect the dots beneath the picture to reveal the reflection.

…of another “Sometimes, we think there is only one way to look at things…

…But they forget that there are people living there.”

…But things can look very different, depending on where you stand. In order to see the whole picture, you have to look at it through the eyes of another.”

10

GA

ME

5

Glossary

AnimaAn ancient word that means “soul.” In Ancient Greece, people thought it was a little gust of air that breathed life into all living beings. You can recognize the word “anima” in a word you use all the time: animal.

AnimismThe belief that humans, animals and plants all have souls. Animists believe that, like humans, animals can dream and plants can have feelings, just as you do. It doesn’t mean we are all alike: the jaguar has spots, the monkey has a long tail, and humans walk on their two legs.

The Maya The Maya are a people living in Central America. A long time ago, their ancestors built huge pyramids. In the Maya forest, they learned how to grow corn, tomatoes and coffee. Today they live in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. The Maya speak 33 different languages! In fact, you know at least one Maya word: cocoa (which they spell “kököw”), and which means chocolate.

NaturalismThe belief that only humans have a soul, which makes them different from animals and plants, even though they are, in many ways, similar. For example, did you know that the wing of a bird has five fingers and that a giraffe’s neck has five vertebrae — just like you.

6 To Find out more

Just a dreamChris Van Allsburg,

Houghton Mifflin Company, 2011.

Giving TreeShel Silverstein,

HarpersCollins, 1964.

L'homme qui plantait les arbresJean Giono, illustrations by Willi Glasauer,

Gallimard Jeunesse, 2014 .

La Terre RespireGuia Risari and Alessandro Sanna,

Editions MeMo, 2008 .

Beyond Nature and CulturePhilippe Descola, translation by Janet Lloyd,

University of Chicago Press, 2013.

Zoo ou l’assassin philanthropeVercors, Editions Magnard, 1959

.

Think Global, Act rural (Solutions locales pour un désordre global)

documentary film, Coline Serreau, 2010

.Anima

is presented by The Invisible Dog

Art Center, as part of Tilt Kids Festival, supported

by the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF), and the

French Cultural Services.

With the generous support

of Elizabeth Krief Manardo & Jacques Manardo.

Authors: Prune Nourry,

Valentine Losseau, and Raphael Navarro

Editing Director: Léa Gabrié Graphic designer: Marion Bizet

Illustrator: Laure Macé de LépinayPrinted on recycled paper

by Think Box Media.March 2016

NY.