Entry of the animals into Noah's ark, three men follow quadrupeds and birds striding toward the ark in the background, another male figure points the way 1650 - 1655

Editor: Here we have "Entry of the Animals into Noah's Ark" by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, dating from about 1650 to 1655. It’s an etching, and the level of detail in the animals is captivating, but the people are rather blurry and much smaller in scale. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: For me, this piece sparks a crucial conversation about power, representation, and ecological narratives. Castiglione's depiction normalizes a hierarchy. Humans are seemingly 'granted' dominion, a dangerous ideology that persists today. What is omitted speaks volumes. Who decides which animals are 'worthy' of salvation? Whose voices are silenced in this supposed act of divine mercy? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered! It’s true, we only see certain animals included. So how would this relate to more contemporary dialogues? Curator: The narrative promotes a problematic selective empathy, and historical privilege. Are we not still grappling with this legacy as seen with endangered species? Who do we fight to protect, and who do we ignore? Consider too how the environmental devastation that caused Noah's flood mirrors today’s climate crisis. Whose responsibility is it to create the climate catastrophe? Editor: That’s… unsettlingly relevant. The flood, meant as a divine reset, but created, then as now, because of inequality? Curator: Precisely. Castiglione's work inadvertently becomes a stark reminder that these power dynamics have devastating environmental consequences, even with this promise of a second chance. How do we disrupt the system? Who builds the ark and who is left behind to perish? Editor: Thinking about it in that light gives the image a whole new depth. Thank you. Curator: And thank you, for seeing beyond the surface to challenge assumptions and for recognizing how deeply entrenched are notions of who matters in a disaster.