Because the Exchange Is Complete

Who is really being farmed? Sheep and cows have spread to every continent, attached to humans, and humans benefit from their company in many ways. An exchange has taken place. Drawing from posthuman philosophy and speculative ethics, artist Shane Finan explores this idea of exchange and relationship between animal and human. This film was made as part of an artist in residence programme with FIELD, a collaboration between six UK universities funded by the Wellcome Trust. Shane visited ten farms in the UK and Ireland and worked with epidemiologists, farmers, vets, social scientists, historians, economists, sheep, cows and diseases over six months (2020-21). His work on this project includes interactive narratives, drawings and text, much of which is condensed into this short film documenting his time spent being-with sheep in a short artistic narrative.

Shane Finan (IE)
Shane uses film, interactive digital media, video, painting, installation and sculpture to create artworks about place, environment and technology.