Just two month ago, Portable Cow crossed the Atlantic for the very first time. Photographer and anthropologist, Liz Hingley, and I, Camille Bellet, joined art historian, Emily K. Morgan, at the Iowa State University School of Design to present some of the findings from my Wellcome Trust-funded research on sensor technologies and human-cow relationships in farming in France and the UK.
Supported by the Center for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities at Iowa State University, we had the opportunity over a week to engage the Iowa State University and Ames communities in a discussion about human-cow relationships in farming. Through a series of glittering events—including an art exhibition, a symposium, a panel discussion, and interactive sensory workshops—Portable Cow sparked curiosity, even attracting the attention of the local press.
Originally conceived as a miniature exhibition contained within a bespoke 3D-printed box—including objects, archival documents and ethnographic observations I generated during my fieldwork, and Liz’s photographs—Portable Cow was designed to foster engagement and discussion in exhibition and workshop settings. This first exhibition in the United States took Portable Cow out of its box and into a gallery space, inviting visitors to reflect on cow lives, farmers’ experiences, and the human-cow bonds shaped by digital technologies.
Of course, Portable Cow is only just beginning! Liz and I are actively working on unboxing it in France, the UK, and beyond. If you would like to exchange ideas, discuss the project, learn more, or explore the possibility of hosting an exhibition or workshop within your group or institution, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email (camille.bellet@manchester.ac.uk). Portable Cow is only at the start of its journey—waiting to be discovered, shared, and to keep evolving.