The Taxidermist by René Piazentin tr. Sughey Ramírez

Unlike other animals, vision is a human’s most developed sense. The stuff on the outside, what’s visible, defines identity more than anything else. René Piazentin’s post-apocalyptic tale, The Taxidermist, was inspired by a real-life stuffed animal zoo in a conflict zone in the Middle East. Dr Sharif is approached by the young Lola with a special request – she’d like her dog stuffed, and not just that, she’d like to do it herself. What is preserved through this process and for whom? Who gets to decide? And does it all really just come down to the stuff on the outside?