"All animals are equal, some are more equal than others", wrote George Orwell in 'Animal Farm' when the pigs were ruling the world and put themselves in a superior position. In Silver's work all animals are equal because they all propagate, but there is a different kind of privilege at work here. We see images of birds, tigers, monkeys, polar bear and elephants, images of animals in a zoo. We hear fragments of text from the testimony of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky to Kenneth Starr, Independent Counsel, spoken by different people. The fragments build up a story related to that of Clinton and Lewinsky, although it is unclear if and who said what. We hear different versions of the details of their sexual relationship. However, as is made perfectly clear: "There can be no sexual relation without sexual intercourse, regardless of what other sex activities may be performed". And while the images clearly show that animals do not seem to give a second thought to what they are doing, let alone carry out a discussion on whether or not what they are doing is defined as having sex, the texts tell how 'Bill' and 'Monica' had oral sex and that as this does not fall under the definition of having sex, they did not have sex. Images and texts go hand in hand here and tell of the similarities and differences between humans and animals. Attention is also drawn to the similarities between the White House and the zoo. Some of the animals eat leaves with relish, a reference to Adam's fig leaf, which no longer offers protection. Naked and "in the study with no curtains", they are on show and their world is a zoo as well, with them behind glass rather than bars. And so suddenly all animals are equal again after all.
– Carla Hoekendijk
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Sound mixing: Bill Seery, Voices: Simon Farkhondeh, Ken Kobland, Tracy Leipold, David Watson, Hamilton Dobbs, Joan Jonas, Kathy High, Rodney Evans, Text: The Starr Report ° 1998
Shelly Silver ° 1957, New York (USA)
Lives and works in New York (USA)
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