Molly Warnock on the lives of Animals in Gilles Aillaud’s Paintings

In what ways do Gilles Aillaud’s (1928-2005) paintings invite us to think about human subjectivity in relation to animal others? On the occasion of “Gilles Aillaud: Animal politique” (Political Animal), which is on view at the Centre Pompidou in Paris until February 26, 2024, art historian and critic Molly Warnock asks us to consider this question, and more, as it relates to animals in captivity. 

Following her February 2024 essay for Artforum, “The Lives of Animals: The art of Gilles Aillaud,” Warnock zooms in on three works of art —Rhinocéros, 1972, Rhinocéros, 1979, and Rhinocéros de dos, 1966—for the latest episode of “Interpretations.” Her analysis encourages us to take a deeper look at these depictions of an enormous animal, while contemplating its individuality, uniqueness, and the limiting architectures in which it lives.