The rhinoceros Clara: cross-cultural reflections, identity and migration in the art of recent decades

Abstract

This study explores the implications of transcultural identity and mobility through the story of the rhinoceros Clara and its reinterpretations in contemporary art. Taken from India in the 18th century and brought to Europe, Clara became a symbol of the global exchanges of the time, embodying the tensions between exotic fascination, colonial practices, and the construction of otherness. The numerous artistic and literary representations that followed contributed to codifying her image within a scopic regime that raised questions about the relative value of different forms of life. In recent years, Clara has received renewed attention due to the influence of postcolonial studies and animal studies, emerging as a key figure for rethinking migratory trajectories and interspecies relationships in the contemporary context. Three recent case studies testify to this interest: Untitled 2020 (We are not your pet) by Rirkrit Tiravanija (2023) and the exhibitions Clara and Other Specimens by Rossella Biscotti (2019) and Velme by Marzia Migliora (2017). Biscotti, with Clara (2016), evokes the material and symbolic weight of the animal through bricks imprinted with her silhouette, reflecting on colonial memory and global trade networks. Migliora and Tiravanija engage with Pietro Longhi’s painting Il Rinoceronte (1751) to deconstruct the practices of animal spectacle and interrogate contemporary forms of exploitation. Through the analysis of these works, this research highlights how Clara’s trajectory provides a lens to understand the intersections of migration, colonialism, and identity construction in relation to the non-human.