Exercising with Chubbo
By Stephanie Vasquez and Hamster(s)

Started on: 05/18/09 19:10:13
Medium: Visual

I went home to visit my mother, and was reunited with my siblings' dwarf hamster, Chubbo. I watched as she energetically moved about her cage, and wondered what it would be like to do some exercise with her, like exercising with another human being. I decided to let her "lead" the way as we jogged around a small area of a local park. I knew this would not mean running in a straight path, which made the jog very fun and kept it interesting. She kept running back and forth, and we ran for about 10 minutes. I am looking forward to doing some more running with her next weekend!


At the starting line.

I put this up to show how active she is. She could run on that hamster wheel for hours!

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Comment by mlifshin (05/22/09 17:20:08):
This seems like a promising collaboration! Yeah I like Hannah's drawing idea, too. You could also do it by attaching something that makes marks to the ball itself.

Comment by hannah (05/18/09 21:26:17):
I wonder if you could trace Chubbo's path to make a drawing? Maybe by letting him run his ball through chalk or ink?

Comment by leonachen (05/18/09 19:19:51):
Haha, dwarf hamsters are really playful. I had several when I was growing up. The really nice quality about them is that they are easy going and can be flexible to work with.

Project Updates
06/08/09 18:38:30 - Kou Ack Ack Ack Final Exhibition

The final project consisted of a looping video (shown above), photos, and the only equipment needed by humans and dwarf hamsters to exercise: running shoes and a hamster ball. I hope the simplicity encourages more people to join their pets in their daily exercise.



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06/08/09 18:51:35 - On the Run (Artist Statement)

I combined my love for outdoor running with my love of animals in "On the Run." Working with Chubbo, my family's dwarf hamster, I did a series of short runs that involved Chubbo leading the way. It was important that Chubbo lead the way because it created a new connection between hamster and human that does not normally exist.

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