HOWLS
Kelly Kirkham
Plate Glass Gallery at NAC
February 2019-April 2019
Howls were engineered in the year 2030 with the genes from owl, horse, macaw and shark to subsist on all types of waste plastics. The earth was experiencing a plastics crisis, and this was one of the solutions. Things went well for a while, as howls were docile herd animals. They could survive in most climates, and were quite abundant near cities and manufacturing centres. However, around 2050 the Howls (also prolific breeders) developed a genetic mutation in their gut bacteria, that along with their highly acidic saliva soon led to them eating all sorts of other materials. Worldwide damage to city infrastructures and vehicles followed, leading to a massive cull of free roaming Howls, with only a few thousand left in zoos.
The last howl died in the San Diego Zoo in 2104.
– Kelly Kirkham
Check out more of Kelly’s work here
