Animals for art or art for animals

AMSTERDAM – Her so-called “confrontational art” is a menace to many animal lovers and artist Tinkebell (pseudonym of Katinka Simonse) has received thousands of death threats. The young woman is not disturbed by this fact: always happy and every day dressed in pink, Tinkebell uses her art to inform people of the animal abuse in our society. Her message is not always appreciated by animal welfare associations: earlier this month Tinkebell was ordered to appear in court, after several animal welfare organisations reported her to the police. Who is Tinkebell and what is her message?

Joep Derksen

“I never really decided to become an artist”, she starts the interview. “I just like to kick, question everything around me and therefore I am super recalcitrant. The whole day I think ‘Why? Why? Why?’, already since I was a young girl. All my projects arise from this basic question.” Tinkebell walked a dead dog through the streets of Beijing, proposed to have any muskrats killed been given to the voedselbank, where poor people receive free food and let models in bunny fur coats stay in the same room with dozens of live bunnies.

A few years ago Tinkebell was front page news: she choked her own cat Pinkeltje, who “was depressed” and made a handbag from Pinkeltje’s fur. How did you think of euthanizing Pinkeltje and was it difficult to say goodbye to him? “A few things were going on at that time. Pinkeltje wasn’t doing too well: she could not be alone and was extremely depressed. She hit her head on the walls. Also I asked myself: ‘Why is it normal to wear a piece of a cow on our feet? That cow is intentionally killed for this purpose? Why does it make any difference to do a similar thing to an animal closer to us, that was part of our family?”

You received thousand of hate mails, which you collected and published in a book. Did you read all these mails? How does it affect you when so many people turn against you? “Most mails I did not read. A colleague of mine took care of that. These hate mails are an answer to my basic question and therefore part of my project.” Do you love animals? Is your art a protest against animal suffering? Tinkebell acknowledges: “I love the world and animals are an important part. However, my fascination goes to the way people act in our world and what they consider as being ‘normal’.”

Suffering

Tinkebell has to face charges because she let 95 hamsters walk around in hamster balls for four hours a day, three days in a row. What does she feel about the people that are suing her? “Some people just don’t understand: they can’t think big and just focus on one cat that has been released from her suffering. I know that many members from animal right organisations support me, but if they show it openly they will lose members.”

She continues: “Unfortunately, animal suffering is not a rare thing in today’s society. I want to show what is happening in the world; roosters of a day old are killed on a mass scale. I don’t cross any borders; the standards of what is right and wrong have been stretched for miles.

Tinkebell set up the project ‘Save the Pets’, in which 95 hamsters were put in hamster balls for four consecutive hours. What was your message? “I wanted to question the usage of this ball. Consumers buy these balls so that hamsters can walk and run without them destroying or making the interior filthy.” You are prosecuted for this project. Do you think that the judge will rule in your favour? “Absolutely: I was charged for things that were not right. I treated the hamsters in a good and proper way. The district attorney claims a fine of 950 euro of which 475 euro on probation. This means that one hamster is worth five euro! In other words, for five euro you can do with a hamster whatever you want. It is the perfect answer to the basic question of my project.”

Disturbed

“I don’t understand how people fall in Tinkebell’s trap that she wants to mirror people’s actions. Her behaviour is plain disturbed. She murders a cat because it is so-called depressed. If that is the case, take it to a vet, but don’t choke it to make the cat into a handbag. Don’t make animals victims of art.” Sandra van de Werd is coordinator of the Comité Dierennoodhulp (animal emergency) and she does not appreciate Tinkebell’s actions at all. Together with other animal welfare organisations, such as the Dierenbescherming, she filed a complaint against Tinkebell.

We reported Tinkebell to the police, because you can’t abuse animals like that. The public attorney claims 950 euro in damages, of which 475 euro on probation: that is way too low. The penalty should be much higher and she should get a suspended sentence. In that case, she will be put in prison if she makes another mistake.” Van de Werd rather rescues animals than report artists to the police. “I rather do not spend attention to her, but locking up hamsters four consecutive hours without food or drink is a crime.”

“Conversation makes work interesting”

The 29-year old art collector Younes Bouadi is an enthusiast for the art of Tinkebell. “I like her work very much. It concerns the man – animal relationship and our double standards. The cat bag is very provocative and she knows how to hit the sensitive nerve. I own two of her creations: baby rabbits put in rubbing alcohol. The debate around Tinkebell’s work increases my appreciation for her art. If Tinkebell would be a wall flower, her work would decrease in value. If the conversation with the outside world would be absent, I would find her work less interesting.”

Early February Tinkebell publishes her new book ‘For Your Pleasure’.