Happy World Wildlife Day! To celebrate, here’s a typically captivating and theatrical artwork by the Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qian. The 2013 installation comprises ninety-nine faux-taxidermy animals, harmoniously drinking side by side from a still blue watering hole. The scene is reminiscent of the otherworldly ‘Paradise Paintings’ of 17th century Flemish artist Jan Brueghel the Elder, while making a pertinent point about the modern world’s fast-depleting natural resources. It features in Animal: Exploring the Zoological World, “a beautiful coffee table book [by Phaidon] that bridges the gap between art and science”, in the words of Louisa Elderton, who reviewed the book for Elephant upon its release.
