‘Unfashionable Cruelty’

Iris Ionita

Mixed Media

“Wealthy European nations like Denmark and the Netherlands pride themselves in being pioneers of clean, renewable energy production, consumption, and distribution. They’re not just innovators, but also great role-models for other countries throughout the world, demonstrating through their unrelenting efforts how biofuel, solar, and especially wind energy can slowly but surely replace the less sustainable practices of the fossil fuel industry.

And so, it is nothing less than hypocritical for these countries to not only be world leaders in mink farming, but to also shift the blame to the Covid-19 Pandemic for the culling of close to 18 million minks over the past several months. The World Health Organization confirmed that minks can act as a reservoir of SARS-CoV-2, passing the virus between themselves, to humans, and then once more from humans to minks. Several different mutations of the virus have been discovered in minks that do not arise in humans.

Is this a cause for concern? Perhaps. But when even the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederisksen, admitted the culling to be a ‘regrettable mistake’, lacking the legal framework for a nationwide order, it leaves one wondering if this genocide could have been avoided altogether. Or at the very least more compassionately managed. Perhaps one of the few positives to result from the pandemic is the shutting down of fur farms in the Netherlands by 2023. Denmark is still to pass legislation aimed at closing its massive mink sector – an inhumane industry that sees frightened animals crowded in small wire cages.

Possibly now, with these recent developments assaulting our news outlets, these luxury status items will be seen for what they truly are – unnecessary tokens stained in blood.”

Iris Ionita

About the artist

Iris is a self-taught visual artist - lover of all forms that can be modelled visually. She was born in Romania, but has since lived in Sweden, Norway, Hong Kong and Scotland, now based in Stockholm, having studied psychology, film and neuroscience. Examples of her work can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/thepotatomato/ and she is currently open for commissions and collaborations.