OCTOPUS, the online contemporary art magazine of EMST, has returned with its second issue, Wild Words: Stories and Fantasies about Human-Animal Relationships, which is in dialogue with the Museum’s main exhibition Why Look at Animals? Justice for Non-Human Life.

The guest editor of the 2nd issue is the acclaimed curator, author, and art theorist Filipa Ramos, whose research focuses on the intersections of contemporary art, theory, and ecology, and who has systematically explored the poetics of non-human life.

The 2nd issue of The Octopus investigates human-animal relationships with systematic references to art, literature, and philosophy. Featuring contributions from a wide range of scientific and theoretical fields—from ecofeminism to the politics of food, and from posthumanism to cinema—the issue’s texts include essays, stories, poems, illustrations created especially for The Octopus, and even recipes for shared meals between humans and animals. It prioritizes voices underrepresented in animal studies, connecting the theme with ecology, feminism, and social justice. The Octopus poses a fundamental question: in a time of crisis and collapse of empathy, why is it important to talk about animals?

The issue hosts original works created specifically for the publication by the important artist and activist Sue Coe, while the overall illustration of the issue is by visual artist Michela de Mattei. In the special section The Chamber, curator Joanna Zielinska selects works that expand on those presented in Sonic Space, the sound installation that is part of the exhibition Why Look at Animals? Justice for Non-Human Life.

Director: Κaterina Gregou
Editor-in-chief: Theofilos Trampoulis
Advisor: Ιoli Tzanetaki
Design: Nowhere Studio