In "Endangerment", Vethan Sautour created life-size animal sculptures to make the audience aware of the reality of these individuals' existence through their encounter. In meeting them, the creatures lose their abstract nature due to geographic remoteness, they leave the realm of the unknown and of imagination, and the issues they face become all the more real to the viewer.

 

Represented as pure white polyurethane figures, on which origami rest like butterflies symbolising fragility and magic realism, the sculptures seem to have been frozen in time in their symmetric posture reminiscent of Ancient Egyptian art. Similar to a last glimmer of hope, the origami hold on to the last strengths of their animal through colour, the ultimate spark of life, which comes in stark contrast with the monochromic nature of the still sculptures.

 

The relationship between the audience and the creatures is rekindled, in their finding of a mutual respect and acknowledgement of their commonalities - the aim being to reach such a level of regard as to apply ways to peacefully coexist.

 

The causes of the extinction of animal species are multifaceted and encompass climate change, overhunting, poaching, ocean waste, animal cruelty, overconsumption, greed and many more - each animal stands for one of these subjects.

 

All sculptures are editions of seven.