These paintings by Angelos Merges, reflect upon the fleeting nature of animal presence – here specifically that of dogs and a horse – as if they are glimpsed out of the corner of the eye. A movement might be detected, but the moment of recognition is gone before we can grasp it. As Merges himself describes, his paintings “resemble the framing conventions of mobile snapshots or video frames”, raising “questions about shifts in perspective and positions of power”. His paintings exemplify this transience: the animals appear half-seen, cropped, obscured by trees, turning away or vanishing into hazy brushstrokes – captured in haste, as time slips away. They seem unaware of us, just as we don’t often truly notice them. They pass before our eyes like fleeting shadows. And yet, when we look at these paintings, we may feel an unfulfilled longing – a desire to connect with them, to step into their reality, one that exists in a parallel realm. A reality that we can peek into, but never truly enter. Their gaze will always remain a mystery to us.