April 14, 2009

A Hen’s Perspective: Inside the Virtual Battery Cage

Mark Middleton, creator of Animal Visuals: Visual Resources for Animal Advocates, wants us to shift our perspective... literally. In his Virtual Battery Cage infographic, Middleton provides an immersive first person environment that attempts to give the user a visual and audio experience of a typical "battery hen," an egg-laying chicken who spends most of her life cramped within a cage. In this interview, we explore the motivation behind Middleton's striking infographic, weigh into the politics of representation, and examine this innovative contribution to animal activism.

News links:

• Wildlife in peril as Galapagos volcano erupts
• Humane Society blasts squirrel slaughter
• Abandoned Easter bunnies find sanctuary
• Canadian tax dollars fund mass slaughter of marine mammals

Download mp3s of the interview:
lower quality / smaller: part 1 (3.23 MB) and part 2 (2.59 MB)
higher quality / larger: part 1 (9.76 MB) and part 2 (7.67 MB)