Elements of dehumanization are seen today in the hate speech that has entered contemporary political discussions.
Museum of Nonhumanity is a temporary, touring museum that presents the history of the distinction between humans and other animals, and the way that this constructed boundary has been used to oppress human and nonhuman beings. Throughout history, declaring a group to be nonhuman or subhuman has been an effective tool for justifying slavery, oppression and genocide. Conversely, differentiating huma
ns from other species has paved the way for the abuse of natural resources and other animals. The Museum hosts an extensive lecture program in which civil-rights and animal-rights organizations, academics, artists, and activists propose paths to a more inclusive society. Museum of Nonhumanity stands as a monument to the call to make dehumanization history and to the start of a new, more inclusive era. Museum of Nonhumanit was launched Helsinki in September 2016. In the summer pf 2017 Museum of Nonhumanity is open in Momentum Biennale, Moss, Norway, and Santarcangelo Festival, Italy. More info on the project website museumofnonhumanity.org. Museum of Nonhumanity is launched by History of Others, a collaboration between the writer Laura Gustafsson and the visual artist Terike Haapoja. The first part of the History of Others project, The Museum of the History of Cattle (2013), was awarded the Kiila prize in Finland and is now touring internationally. The second work in the project, a courtroom performance called The Trial, had its premiere at the Baltic Circle Festival in 2014.
