Melissa van Havere (°2000, Herentals) utilizes her artistic practice to advocate for animal rights. Through her work she seeks to question the current relationship and dynamics between human and non-human animals. By approaching this theme in a lighthearted manner, she aims to plant a seed of empathy.

“It’s very important to me to make people recognize animals as individuals, beings with a free will and emotions just like us. They’re not just objects that we can use, animals are intelligent, they can communicate, work together, have relationships and love each other. We have to find a way to reform our current society to a multi-species society where every species, every individual can have an equal place.”