Beasts of Burden: Animals as Objects

Beasts of Burden: Animals as Objects looks at how humans have long relied on animals for survival, work, entertainment, and progress, often without seeing them as more than resources. It explores how animals have been objectified—used as tools, turned into products, and made into symbols—losing their agency and identity in the process.

Across history and cultures, animals have carried the weight of human needs. They’ve labored in farms and wars, been used in scientific research, and sacrificed for food, fashion, and art. From sacred rituals to industrial systems, animals have served human purposes, often with little regard for their own experiences.

This exhibition asks what it means when we treat living beings as things. What we allow ourselves to do to the most innocent among us reveals something deeper. The way we justify the objectification of animals often echoes in how we justify the treatment of other humans. Perhaps our downfall began not with how we treat one another, but with how we’ve treated them.

You are invited to reflect and ask yourself: What happens when we reduce life to something useful rather than meaningful? How does that mindset shape both our world and theirs?

Beasts of Burden: Animals as Objects is made possible by the generous support of our Burchfield Penney members. You can become a member online, or contact Miggie Wong, Membership Manager, at (716) 878-4529 or at wongmk@buffalostate.edu.