Domestikator symbolises the power of humanity over the world. It pays tribute to the ingenuity, the sophistication and the capacities of humanity, to the power of organisation, and to the use of this power to dominate, domesticate the natural environment. The act of domestication, however, often leads to boundaries being sought or even crossed. Only a few taboos remain, and it is these taboos that the Domestikator seeks to address. At the same time, one could argue that humanity itself is being domesticated by the optimized systems and organizations of the digital world and the advancement of science.

Domestikator’s themes coincide with a number of recurring topics in the work of Atelier Van Lieshout, like utopia, dystopia, idealism, power, ethics, religion, love and reproduction. Domestikator is part of the ongoing series New Tribal Labyrinth. New Tribal Labyrinth presents a vision of a future yet primitive world, a society inhabited by imaginary tribes where ethics will be of little importance. This world will see a return to farming and industry, to rituals and rites – with Domestikator as a temple for a new religion, a place where the high priest can address the masses.