Becoming a Part of the Houyhnhnm’s Environment

Reiko Goto Collins and Tim Collins
Collins & Goto Studio, Glasgow Sculpture Studio, Glasgow G4 9SS, UK
Published in: Arts (2022), 11(2), 46
DOI: Read the pdf here

In Becoming a Part of the Houyhnhnm’s Environment, Reiko Goto Collins and Tim Collins take an intimate, interdisciplinary approach to exploring human-animal relationships through environmental art. Drawing upon years of research and artistic collaboration with a horse named Darkness, this paper delves into the development of an empathic, dialogical connection across species, using creative inquiry to illuminate non-human sentience and environmental interaction.

The work stands as a profound reflection on how humans might extend beyond their subjectivity, informed by philosophical insights from Edith Stein and Charles Sanders Peirce, and engage in meaningful dialogues with the more-than-human world. From mapping Darkness’ movements to observing his seasonal plant preferences, the authors chart a new territory in environmental artworking that intersects empathy, semiotics, and a shared sense of place.

This piece contributes to ongoing discussions on relational art, sentience, and ecological identity, reinforcing the studio’s long-standing commitment to research and practice that reconsiders our place in the natural world.