Anna Rabbit • Animal Subjectivity • Performance and discussion • HOIZ 2026

What does it mean to recognise a non-human animal as a person? Can we perceive animals not only as living beings or companions, but also as agents with their own identities, experiences, and forms of communication?

What do we, as humans, expect from our encounters with animals, and where does the boundary lie between something that is alive and something that merely looks like an animal?

Bringing together artistic and academic perspectives, contemporary art and reflection on human–animal relations, the event will explore the idea of non-human animal subjectivity and the ways in which beings (or objects) come to be perceived by humans as living persons.

Artist Anna Rabbit will talk about her artistic practice and will also speak with guests Dariusz Grochal, Agata Kokoryn, and Zofia Skrzypulec about their research and everyday activities related to animal subjectivity: understanding and representing non-human animals, the cultural and social frameworks through which humans define them, who (or what) we can consider a person, and how we can support animals in our everyday lives.

The artist will also present a performance featuring the sculpture Creature, inviting us to observe how an audience responds to an object that looks like an animal and feels like one to the touch, while in reality being a textile sculpture.

Guests: Dariusz Grochal, Agata Kokoryn, Zocha Skrzypulec

Moderated by: Anna Rabbit

Admission is free.

The event will be held in Polish.

We kindly ask people with access needs (including hearing, visual, mobility, language, or other needs) to let us know in advance by email (kalina@festivalt.com), by phone (+48 607 542 997, +48 507 609 229), or via social media (Facebook, Instagram).

We will provide organisational and personal assistance and, where possible and depending on the nature of the event, will endeavour to offer alternative forms of access.

The HOIZ Podgórze venue (Józefińska Street) is located on the ground floor, with entrance directly from the street. Guide dogs are welcome.

The event will be available in Polish.

If any additional needs arise during the event, please let the organisers know (look for people wearing special identification badges).

Uszata Przystań

Uszata Przystań in Kraków is the local branch of the Rabbit Aid Association, operating since August 2013 and dedicated to rescuing and rehoming homeless rabbits.

The centre provides ongoing care for several dozen rabbits looking for new homes, runs adoption programmes – including virtual adoptions – and educates the public about proper rabbit care.

The centre can be supported financially or through in-kind donations, such as fresh greens, rabbit food and pellets.

Updates and information about rabbits available for adoption are published, among other places, on their official Facebook profile.

Fundacja Chatka Gołębia

Chatka Gołębia was founded in 2019, initially as a blog about pigeon adoption and care. It later expanded to include Facebook groups and a dedicated Facebook page.

In 2024, Fundacja Chatka Gołębia was officially registered. The foundation promotes the adoption of domesticated pigeons, as well as wild and urban pigeons that are unable to return to the wild due to disability.

It also educates the public about the origins of urban pigeons, funds the treatment and rehabilitation of birds staying in wildlife rehabilitation centres, foundations, associations and foster homes, and participates in criminal proceedings concerning violations of animal protection laws.

The foundation also raises awareness about the humane treatment of birds in cities, including through its “Zakaz Kolców” (“Ban the Spikes”) campaign.

It also organises the recurring “Akcja Sznurek” in Kraków’s Main Market Square, during which volunteers remove strings and threads tangled around pigeons’ feet. Birds requiring medical treatment are then taken to a veterinary clinic.

Website here.
Facebook here.