How to plant cats in your garden

This summer We, Zarathustra the Cat, decided to support old Russian tradition to go to a summer house (called “dacha”) and to plant flowers in a garden. We were so gracious to choose former Russian emperors dacha’s garden, Mikhailovsky garden, and to plant seedlings of the Internet kitties there.

The art installation “The Garden of Cats” depicts the interaction of Fauna and Flora of the Internet: cats and flowers. It is conceived by Us, Zarathustra from FatCatArt and Our humble human assistant, and created together with Our Instagram friends, cats artists: @Poonchic, @Bergamot.the.cat , @Pebblesthekitty , @Themaincoonlife . It was presented at the Cats Museum booth at the festival Imperial Gardens of Russia, held at Mikhailovsky garden 10-19 July 2016, in St.Petersburg Russia, and organized by the State Russian Museum.

The Internet created its own Nature 2.0 and Society 2.0. Rules of the virtual world may differ dramatically from the rules of real one. As you know, the Internet cats are not just animals, they have rich personalities and speak with human voices of their humble assistants known in the profane offline world as their “owners”. Our project, FatCatArt, is an art project where a cat is the true co-author of a human, and it is accepted in human society: Our noble name is listed as an author’s name on the cover of Our book Fat Cat Art: Famous Masterpieces Improved by a Ginger Cat with Attitude together with the name of Our human assistant.
We found in the Instagram 4 other art projects with the same attitude: @Poonchic, @Bergamot.the.cat , @Pebblesthekitty , @Themaincoonlife

The photographers of these projects present their furry models and Mews as cats living in our society and getting a lot of human traces, but still keeping their wild hearts of curious explorers and fierce hunters.
FatCatArt connects the photos by 4 authors via the series of lenticular prints, “Cats and Flowers”, where We, Zarathustra the Cat, re-enact famous paintings of the past, showing the development of the demonstration of nature from classic art to contemporary digital.

All pieces in the installation were thoroughly collected on the Internet and planted with care on the lawn of Mikhailovsky garden.
Enjoy the garden of the Internet Cats!

We, Zarathustra the Cat, @FatCatArt presented there a series of magic lenticular prints, were We appeared like Cheshire Cat, appearing and then disappearing. “Kitty is here, kitty is not here!” – it was a refrain sang by spectators thousand of times

The magic lenticular print by #FatCatArt shows a different image from a different point of view. “The cat is here, the cat is not here” is a refrain sang by spectators at “The Garden of Cats” exhibition that we are currently showing together with @bergamot.the.cat @pebblesthekitty @poonchic @themainecoonlife at the @catsmuseum booth at the #imperialgardensofrussia festival

Видео опубликовано @fatcatart Июн 17 2016 в 12:01 PDT

Claude Monet, Bathing in the Pond of Water Lilies, lenticular print, limited edition 1/8

I know how to be #Romantic & give flowers.. #goodmorningbaby #youlookbeautiful #poonchic Фото опубликовано Poonchic The Car Riding Cat (@poonchic) Июн 5 2016 в 9:51 PDT

@Poonchic – Binazir Asadi, cat Poonchic (USA). Binazir is a student of photography in California. Poonchic is famous on the Internet as the Car Riding Cat. Poonchic has a special personality and, as a photographer, Binazir finds him very inspiring, she loves to show his personality to the world. Poonchic understands the world around him and wants to explore and experience life. Sometimes it is hard to see him as a cat since he has more to offer, and Binazir feels lucky to live with such deep and intelligent being. We, Zarathustra the Cat, approve this way of thinking!

Happy Whiskers Wednesday, dear furriends! Such lovely weather lately here in the UK! My pawrents spent the whole day at the beach, but were back for family walkies in the evening. ??? . Photo by my mama @ravenscourtapothecary Фото опубликовано Bergamot the explorer ? (@bergamot.the.cat) Июн 8 2016 в 2:29 PDT

@Bergamot.the.cat – Harry Duns, Tanya Kuznetsova, cat Bergamot (UK). The feline model is a one-year-old rescue cat living in rural Devon, England. He is a ragdoll and Burmese cross. Bergamot was adopted from a local cat shelter in August 2015 by Harry Duns and Tanya Kuznetsova. Wedding photographers by trade, they started capturing their kitten’s daily adventures outdoors and posting them on Bergamot’s own Instagram account, @bergamot.the.cat. He is named after bergamot orange, as the couple’s favourite Earl Grey tea is scented with this citrus fruit. Bergamot is a very happy and active cat who enjoys his outdoors lifestyle. He is a prolific hunter and explorer.

Book Love Part 2: Won’t you join me for a cup of tea and a good read? ☕️? #kittiesncoffee #literarycat Фото опубликовано @pebblesthekitty Мар 11 2016 в 5:18 PST

@Pebblesthekitty – Valerie Locante, cat Pebbles (USA) Valerie Locant takes beautiful, vintage-inspired iPhone photos. With a passion for still life photography, she creates beautifully lit scenes of flowers, food, and other household objects. Photography is her hobby, while she works in a library. She adopted Pebbles from an animal shelter when the kitty was about 7 months old. Pebbles has always been tiny for her age due to her hard start in life as a stray, but she happily found a loving home at Valerie’s Once Pebbles would jump into the layout of a still life, and Valerie ended up taking pictures of her. Now they both enjoy making photos, it is play time for them.

“I can’t believe you brought your teddy bear for a walkie!” “You better stay quiet, Sister! I saw you stuffing a picture of Gryphen in your backpack!” #ArtemisandApollo #excellent_cats #cat_features #bestcats_oftheworld #meowvswoof #igcutest_animals #feature_do2 #topcatphoto #amazing_picturez_animals #bestmeow #showcasing_pets_ #mainecoon_id #citrusnation #cutepetclub #CatsOfInstagram #hussycats #catsoftwitter #catsoffacebook #catsrulethewolrd #thedailykitten #Nikon #buzzfeedanimals #iamnikon #mainecoon #jj_welovepets Фото опубликовано Artemis and Apollo (@themainecoonlife) Май 27 2016 в 12:20 PDT

@Themainecoonlife – Reka Komoli, cats Artemis and Apollo. (UK) Artemis and Apollo are internet celebrity cats known for their comedic and witty life together as adoptive siblings, under the rubric “The Maine Coon Life”. Their owner, Reka Komoli – a photography student at Westminster University, London – says that their amusing repartee is based on day-to-day observations of their real-life interaction, with a sprinkling of anthropomorphism. They are exceptional among internet cats for always appearing together, either in the same photograph or in alternating series of pictures linked by dialogue. They started their internet career on Instagram as @themainecoonlife on May 1st, 2015, and in a year won 87,000 loyal followers.

Now you know whom to follow!

The installation was set up with the assistance of Our dear friend Irina Besedina.

Thank you, Cats Museum and Cats Republic for letting the Internet kitties to come together IRL!

Thus speaks Zarathustra the Cat
Photos of the exhibition (click to enlarge):