The Exhibition…
Last week the Barcelona Connect editorial team went down to La Mandarina de Newton, an innovative exhibition centre in Gracia, to check out the current art-science exhibition: Wild Portrait. Co-produced by La Mandarina de Newton and Fundació MONA, with the support of Barcelona City Council, the Wild Portrait project invites us to question our innate creativity as humans, and whether it is something that is unique to us, or whether it is spread laterally across into other animal groups. During this project chimpanzees were given brushes, paints and paper to create Wild Portrait paintings during various moments of spontaneity. On display visitors can see the various strokes and shapes painted by the chimpanzees, as well as the diverse mix of colours used. Questioning what is aesthetic and creativity, and whether these terms can also be applied to animals, this project investigates whether animals can perceive their surroundings in the same way that humans do, and whether they can relay and portray these perceptions. This exhibition intends to stimulate a reflection on these questions, as well as other questions relating to the creative development of primates, and invites you to explore the character and life stories of the chimpanzees through their artwork.
The Foundation…
This project stems from the fantastic Fundació MONA, a recovery and rehabilitation centre for primates based in Girona, rescuing animals that were previously abused in roles in the entertainment industry such as circus artists and television actors, as well as ones that were kept at home as pets. These animals would have spent years in confined and unhygienic conditions, terrified and abandoned, living in panicked solitude. The Foundation aims to provide these primates with a new life, a life where they are free to exist without restraint.
Their three key goals are rescue and rehabilitation: rescuing abused primates, rehabilitating them physically and mentally, as well as offering them a new life in a social family group; research: using behavioural research in order to monitor and improve the well-being of all rescued animals; and education and awareness: raising awareness for these endangered animals by explaining their work to the public through guided tours and creative projects.The Foundation aims to provide these primates with a new life, a life where they are free to exist without restraint.
All of the primates in this centre were separated from their mothers and families prematurely, and throughout their lives would have lacked any opportunity to establish social bonds with other species of their kind. Growing up in such a way, many of them are confused as to what they really are – animals, or entertainers. So many years of isolation, abuse and loneliness have caused the animals severe physical and psychological problems. The Foundation offers intense physical and psychological care, in a family group of their own kind, to make sure that the loneliness felt for so many years become a thing of the past, an experience never to be re-lived.
Providing the primates with a second chance, MONA gives them the opportunity to live a life free of pain, suffering and abuse, which so many of them would have formally experienced. Due to their life in captivity, returning these primates back into the wild to fend for themselves would be challenging and even traumatic for them, and so the foundation strives to give them the type of lifestyle they would have had in the wild, restoring them with their peace and dignity.
What you can do…
The Fundació MONA is original, inventive and unique, encouraging and inspiring everyone by offering abused animals a second chance at life. There are several ways in which you can help this great cause. You can visit the Foundation, either during a guided visit for adults, a guided visit combined with a workshop for families or a guided tour for schools, to explore what work is carried out at the centre. Equally, you can donate to MONA. 90% of their income comes from the fantastic individuals who donate to the foundation, and every little bit helps to make the big difference. You can adopt or feed a primate, become a volunteer or become a member, as well as the several other ways in which you can help the foundation, which you can discover on their website by clicking here.
The Wild Portrait exhibition is free, where you can investigate this project further and purchase the original paintings done by the chimpanzees.
