Georgina Davenport

Photo of the artist. An image of a woman in a denim jacket holding up a flare and surrounded by green-blue smoke
image of the first page of

About

Every morning under the cover of darkness a large blue truck crammed with over a thousand chickens leaves Gloucestershire, makes the three-hour drive down to London and waits on a quiet road in Hackney for the gates of a slaughterhouse to open. Most days that ride is uneventful, however once a month it is met by resistance.

Resistance is peaceful, but steadfast. It comes in the form of a group of people in high-vis jackets who gather in the darkness to bear witness, to stand in solidarity, to commemorate, and to shine light on the final moments of the beings who have had the misfortune to be born as broiler chickens and are about to have their lives cut short at just six weeks old.

As an artist and activist, I make work about the animals trapped in our agricultural industries; the lives that many do not see, but I cannot forget. Exploring themes of visibility, perspective, and empathy, I document my encounters bearing witness to suffering and the beings who experience it. Other animals perceive the world differently from us, but their ability to suffer, feel joy and pain is akin to ours. Using layered textures, light, and charcoal, my current practice explores the spaces between visibility and disappearance, and between our world and theirs, exploring similarities and differences.

Bearing witness is difficult, but by being present, and illuminating uncomfortable truths I hope to spark change. Witnessing alone cannot transform the system, but from awareness comes responsibility, and from responsibility, the power to act.