I am an artist with background in anthropology from Moscow. My practice under the title of Urban Fauna Laboratory is dedicated to participative observation of interspecies networking in human designed landscapes. I provide cross-disciplinary case studies on parasitic and symbiotic relationships and mutual adaptation in urban environments.  The study focused primarily on invasive animals and plants.

The expansion of the sphere of human activity is leading to the degradation and destruction of habitats for wild animals. But according to the degree by which new territories are claimed by man, fauna gives way to urban fauna. Ecological globalization enables the transplantation and proliferation of invasive species—the most adaptable animals, which feed on the scraps falling from the table of consumer society. Feeding pigeons and supporting colonies of feral cats, explained in ordinary life as “extreme kindness” or “undissipated affection” has the scientific definition of “interspecies altruism”, the ability of organisms to gratuitously take care of representatives of other species, even at the expense of their own wellness. Although this behavior is typical for people living in the city, it remains largely unstudied. The purpose of my research is to identify the socio-cultural, psychological and evolutionary prerequisites of interspecies altruism in humans.

I’m doing a PhD screening residency at Aarhus University till the 30^th of September, during which I want to formulate a detailed project proposal.

Contact:

Alexey Buldakov, urbanfaunazoo@gmail.com