Do Not Feed the Animals? showcases artistic and scientific outcomes from the ground-breaking Animal Feeding Project, a collaborative research initiative involving the University of Exeter, alongside the Universities of Reading and Roehampton, and National Museums Scotland. It explores why humans feed animals, how these practices have shaped human-animal relations over time, and what happens when feeding animals becomes a part of everyday life, whether in homes, gardens, or public spaces like zoos and parks.

At the heart of this new display is a series of artistic works created through a collaboration of Animal Feeding researchers with artists-in-residence Rebecca Jewell and Sandy Ross Sykes. Through a series of workshops with public visitors to zoos and museums, they have created a Modern Bestiary of Animal Feeding, an evocative collection of paintings and artworks inspired by medieval bestiaries alongside cutting edge research into animal feeding. Their work bridges the gap between science and art, showcasing watercolours, mixed media works, and 3D printed bones, all reflecting the project’s cross-disciplinary collaborations.

This creative collaboration between researchers, public audiences, and artists provides innovative insights into the practice of animal feeding, highlighting its implications for nature, society, and personal well-being.

This new display of Do Not Feed the Animals? is supported by Arts and Culture, University of Exeter and builds upon a previous exhibition at the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) in 2024. The display is available from 1st September to 12th December 2025 in the Arts and Culture display space which is situated in the West Wing foyer of the Queen’s Building on the Streatham Campus, Exeter.