Buck Fever

»Ready? Wait, wait!« An introduction: Stalking and ambushing the quarry, a wild beast of prey. The climax: a shot which kills the animal so that it falls to the ground. And finally, the end: The elation and enthusiasm of the hunters after the adrenaline kick. »It's a big buck«, »What a beauty« is what the young women, men and parents with their children keep on saying about the lately brought down game, and they strike a proud pose for the camera.

Buck Fever is a video collage about amateur hunters in the USA, in the wild and in enclosed parks. With found footage from private videos, the German artist group Neozoon illustrates the strange relationship which many people have with animals and nature. Like a behavioural study, they show us these people's self-presentation. All interchangeable, as if their spoken rituals followed the same rule. Neozoon shows how important it is for many people to display their property, whether it is alive and sitting on a throne or dead and hung on the wall. (Valerie Reda)