Webster's New World Dictionary gives the following definition for a zoo:
zoo (zoological garden) n. 1 a place where wild animals are kept for public showing 2 [Slang] a place of confusion, disorder, etc.
The National Zoo in Washington, DC is a perfect place for artistic interpretation. Firstly it is a place for people to go to view animals which are kept in cages or behind bars, thus the security aspect of the project. Also, while zoos are in a number of locations across the globe, many animal rights activists and others consider them inhumane in the belief that no animal should be kept in a cage, which is the ritualistic ideological aspect of a zoo. The obvious authoritarian aspect of a zoo is the dominance of people over animals. While humans are technically animals, we do not consider ourselves in relation to the animals that are kept in zoos. I will explore all of these aspects of the National Zoo for my situational tour. I will also keep in mind the slang definition of a zoo while exploring it.
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