Sleeping with a Tiger, a group exhibition at K-Gold Temporary Gallery in Lesvos, Greece, curated by Nicolas Vamvouklis, reflects on the relationships between humans and animals, questioning notions of coexistence, exclusion, dominance, and symbiosis. Drawing inspiration from Maria Lassnig’s painting of the same name, the exhibition addresses fundamental themes such as the dualism between reason and instinct and the possibilities of interspecies connection, through the lens of history, politics, and tradition. It emphasizes how language shapes our perception of animals by associating behaviors, appearances, and habitats with specific metaphors and classifications—swarms of bees, parliaments of owls, colonies of ants, and so on. These often invisible cultural tools play a crucial role in how we relate to animals, reinforcing dynamics of control and detachment.

The works of artists such as Ana Mendieta, Oliviero Fiorenzi, Cosima von Bonin, Antigoni Tsagkaropoulou, and many others offer a wide range of perspectives on how human and animal societies interact and influence one another. Through installations, videos, and performances, the exhibition examines how sites of conflict can become spaces to rethink our perspectives on the natural world. It invites the public to imagine new models of relating to other living beings and a symbiotic future where art and dialogue serve as powerful tools for reimagining our view of the planet.