Although speciesism is deeply rooted in our everyday lives, hardly anyone is familiar with the term. This is because classifying animals according to how useful they are to humans is considered normal. While we regard ourselves as superior to other living beings and disregard their needs, countless animals suffer as a result. The animal rights organisation PETA therefore aims to raise awareness of speciesism as a form of discrimination, encouraging people to question established patterns of behaviour more critically. 

Anna Marlene Buhler has developed a product that makes speciesism tangible: the game “Artgerecht”, created in cooperation with PETA. Many people have become desensitised to shocking images of factory farming, for example. The concept therefore focuses less on confrontation and more on dialogue. It brings people together and creates space for genuine exchange and personal conversations about how we treat animals in a playful way. It does this without moralising, but with the potential for critical reflection. Through constant role and perspective changes, “Artgerecht” shows the realities of life for 40 different animals in our society. Whether the game progresses or regresses is determined by the popularity, value and function of the randomly selected species. Which player will be the first to climb to the top of our speciesist system?