Yellow 2019

Curator: What immediately strikes me is this incredible, almost eerie serenity, despite the vibrant yellow wash. There's a peculiar, unnerving gentleness to it. Editor: Unnerving is right. We're looking at Eckart Hahn's "Yellow," painted in 2019 with acrylics. The portrait format highlights a chimpanzee gazing downward, holding what appears to be a short piece of rope. That monochrome yellow makes the figure appear oddly ill, evoking conversations around animal exploitation and forced environments. Curator: Or a rather fabulous creature from a forgotten land! The uniform yellow really throws your senses for a loop. It softens the wrinkles, highlights the fine fur… It’s like looking at a memory, vivid but undeniably… other. It tickles the imagination. Is it sadness or gentle curiosity in those eyes? Editor: The almost human-like expression does humanize the animal form, blurring boundaries between species. I think that begs consideration of power dynamics: zoos, laboratories, performances… the rope adds a layer of implied control and the loss of agency for animals under human captivity. It’s heavy. Curator: Heavy, yes, but also… hopeful, maybe? I mean, look at the delicate fingers almost playing with that rope, and the way the light catches the edge of its ears. Hahn manages to freeze a complex moment with such unsettling tranquility. It’s an open door for introspection. Editor: I appreciate you seeing a thread of optimism! For me, the striking, almost sickly use of a singular, intense yellow can serve as a call to address animal welfare, and the long shadow of colonial scientific practices, particularly in fields like primatology. The visual disruption can make a statement. Curator: It definitely messes with your head, and that's probably what Hahn intended. The unexpected color asks you to reassess the familiar. It encourages a kind of raw, instinctual seeing. It stays with you long after you walk away, that bright haunting presence. Editor: Agreed. Whether approaching Hahn's “Yellow” through emotion or social commentary, there’s an indisputable engagement. It’s an unsettling piece that makes us contemplate, in both obvious and subtle ways, our relationship with the non-human world.