With “Happy Zoo,” Anita Lam Makes a Case for Artistic Environmentalism

Anita Lam. Courtesy Anita Lam

Anita Lam didn’t set out to reinvent the zoo, but after reading John Berger’s Why Look at Animals?, she found herself rethinking the joy they’d once brought her. Questions began to take shape in her mind: What does it mean to confine an animal for human spectatorship? What do our structures of display say about how we view other species and ourselves? These and other inquiries eventually gave rise to “Happy Zoo,” a conceptual art series developed through ALAN (Artists who Love Animals and Nature), the Hong Kong–based nonprofit Lam co-founded and now directs.

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There are no cages in Lam’s zoo. No bars or barriers between ‘us’ and ‘them’. And no living creatures on display. Instead, each iteration of the adaptive multimedia exhibition—”BLUTOPIA” in 2023, “Spirit of Sumatra” in 2024, “Wild Togetherland” currently on view at GATE33 Gallery in Hong Kong and “Snowmelt,” which is in development—exists to invite empathy with animals in nature and in human-built environments. At the heart of “Wild Togetherland” is an intriguing question: Where do we belong in the ecosystem of a city?

Lam’s work sits at the intersection of art, ecology, technology and philosophy, but far from being overly academic or depressingly pessimistic—as environmentally focused art shows often are—her approach is playful and, at times, mischievous. Collaborating with artists like Ruby Maky, Stickyline and Carnovsky (Francesco Rugi and Silvia Quintanilla), she builds exhibitions that encompass everything from immersive installations and playable video games to sculpture and interactive works.

There are no dry manifestos printed on the walls, no proclamations of doom. She’s not here to scold or convert. Instead, “Happy Zoo” nudges visitors toward ecological awareness through whimsy, novelty and play because, for Lam, emotional connection is the first step toward behavioral change. In “Wild Togetherland,” stories of urban animals pushed to the margins of human life illustrate how people might better coexist with other species, and many works in the exhibition—including The Collective’s interactive game Toilet Training and Stickyline’s Urban Animal Fables—use humor to expose the absurdity of expecting animals to conform to human-imposed order. Observer caught up with Lam to learn more about the exhibition, how “Happy Zoo” has evolved and why finding common ground with animals matters now more than ever.

ALAN stands for “Artists who Love Animals and Nature.” Broadly, what responsibility do you feel artists bear when it comes to environmental issues?

I think being environmentally conscious is something we all share responsibility for—it’s not just one group or profession. That said, artists have a special role to play. We’re naturally expressive, and we tell stories through what we create. There’s often a lot of emotion, experiences and warmth in art, and that makes it a powerful way to connect with people. Rather than telling the public what they should or shouldn’t do, art opens up space for reflection. It invites curiosity and encourages people to think for themselves. When someone feels emotionally connected, understanding grows naturally, and from that place, people can make their own choices.

Environmental issues are complex, and there isn’t one right way to approach them. Art allows us to explore those complexities, to think differently and to imagine new possibilities. At its heart, it’s about creativity—about stepping outside the usual frameworks and offering room for thought, dialogue and change.

What inspired the “Happy Zoo” exhibition series?

Both Andy, the co-founder of ALAN and I........

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