Bait

In Bait awkward parallels are drawn between environmental and sexual violence. Central are a range of anthropomorphous characters voicing their conflicting perspectives on consent and complicity. An adaptation of Millais' Ophelia comes back to life through karaoke. This animated version of Ophelia is no longer passive, rather she lip-syncs to Enough Is Enough, a charged 1979 disco-duet between Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand. A white male default 3D avatar generates empty buzzwords to apologize for being involved in issues of harassment. His voice is appropriated and cut up from media interviews with Hollywood celebrity Matt Damon. A singing ensemble of oysters share their concerns about the abuse of power, allegorically hinting at their gendered, art historical and ecological connotations. The Aquatic Apes, depicted as otherworldly mid-evolution creatures with sexualised and animalistic features, vocalise dolphin-like sounds translated into subtitles. They are holding oysters; allegedly the first tools that made apes turn human.