"Making Love in the Zoo" explores stories of sexuality in the environment of captivity of the Zoological garden. The zoo is a place of nostalgia and wonder, and reflects our preconceived ideas about nature, but what do stories of sexuality from the perspective of the zoo’s residents tell us about our own sexuality? Is there such a thing as sexual freedom for the caged? To what extent is a ‘forced marriage’ allowed and how do you decide for insemination?

For this publication Kuang-Yi Ku and Thijs de Zeeuw started by researching the role of sex and reproduction in the zoo. But, as it is with sex, they couldn’t stop fantasizing, and so this publication is not just a presentation of their research but also contains speculative designs as well. The stories you find are the result of conversations with the zoo, its keepers and researchers, and discussions between Kuang-Yi and Thijs. They discuss their work and question the role of sex in a Zoo of The Future…

Credits:

​Text: Kuang-Yi Ku, Thijs de Zeeuw, Anne-Florence Neveu (Panda)
Illustration: Kuang-Yi Ku, Thijs de Zeeuw, Kyungmi Lee
Proofread: Ryan White
Design: Jhen Chen
Publisher Limestone Books

Supported by Creative Industries Fund NL​