PAGE (NYC)

CHRISTOPH KILIAN

The California Snow Leopard

July 13–20, 2024

Page is pleased to present The California Snow Leopard, a week-long installation by Christoph Kilian. Christoph sets his sights through the lens of a telescope out the window of Page for just a moment, peering across the downtown Manhattan scraper-scape and letting viewers peer into the whereabouts of a mythical cat he's been frantically studying, conjuring, and geolocating.

This is Christoph’s second season in the US tracking the big game, ultra posh missing link. A rare cat that was bred to resemble a type of domesticated Snow Leopard, first unveiled in the glitzy pages of the 1986 Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog, has made a stunning comeback (if you know where to look). This ultra-luxe feline, known for its immaculate speckled coat, once dazzled wealthy, yuppie animal appreciators. Marketed as the ultimate home accessory flex, the California Snow Leopard was even accompanied by a silver plated cat dish.

For decades, the elusive Snow Leopard was thought to be extinct, its existence a tantalizing mystery. Skeptics and breeding associations scoffed, dismissing it as nothing more than a high-society, mythic mirage. But as of late, recent sightings—some captured through telescopes—suggest this legendary kitty is alive and well. A far and flickering glimpse of this enigmatic creature through the tube of a telescope mirrors the cat, bred in the image of its distant relatives.

From the sunny hills of Los Angeles to the skyscraper helipads of Manhattan, this rare cat has been spotted on the prowl. And yes, it's been seen by some lounging beside its signature silver dish, flaunting its posh pedigree, but gets gone in a flash before a shot can be snapped!