On Valentine’s Day 2023, Philadelphia-based artist Wilmer Wilson IV encountered an unexpected and persistent visitor in his home: a squirrel that took up residence within the walls. Over the course of two weeks, the animal’s restless activity disrupted Wilson’s daily life, evading traps and keeping him awake as it scratched through the wall cavities. Though the squirrel eventually left on its own, the experience spurred Wilson to embark on extensive research about the species, culminating in a novel and a broader creative project.

Wilson’s work caught the attention of Hallie Ringle, chief curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at the University of Pennsylvania. When the ICA launched its new R+D residency program in November 2025—an initiative aimed at fostering interdisciplinary artistic research on campus—Ringle recommended Wilson as a fitting inaugural participant. The program, introduced alongside director Johanna Burton’s arrival, seeks to transform the museum into a laboratory that integrates academic and cultural resources across Philadelphia.

During his residency, Wilson broadened his investigation into the Eastern gray squirrel, engaging with scientists, visiting the Philadelphia Zoo, and exploring collections at Penn’s Materials Library. His research informed “Wilmer Wilson IV: SKIRL!,” a solo exhibition running through Feb. 21 at the ICA. The show uses the squirrel as a lens to explore themes of urban ecology, American history, and human-animal relationships.

Philadelphia’s historical connection to squirrels adds context to the exhibition. In 1847, city officials began introducing squirrels to local parks to replenish urban wildlife diminished by industrialization, making Philadelphia the first major U.S. city to deliberately provide habitats and food sources for squirrels—a practice that would spread nationwide. Over time, squirrels adapted to the built environment, often causing damage to buildings, a phenomenon Wilson experienced firsthand.

Rather than portraying squirrels directly, Wilson presents traces of their presence—such as debris and chewed objects—in his art. One installation features a trash can used as a pedestal for a daily replaced apple with a single bite mark, symbolizing the squirrels’ foraging habits. Sculptural window bays replicate the hollow spaces where squirrels nest inside walls, referencing Wilson’s own interactions with his uninvited houseguest.

Expanding beyond the gallery, Wilson stages performances where he feeds city squirrels while wearing a sandwich board specifying the color of squirrel he intends to feed. These acts are followed by performances mimicking squirrels’ scratching and movement inside the window bay sculptures, with amplified sounds emulating the animal’s persistent communication.

Wilson’s research revealed historical and cultural dimensions of squirrels in America. He explored their role as pets among wealthy colonial families and diplomatic gifts exchanged by figures like Benjamin Franklin. One notable example involves Custis Morgan, a squirrel owned by Robert E. Lee’s daughter; the Confederate general reportedly expressed disdain for the animal, fantasizing about eating it. Wilson created a conceptual piece featuring bronze casts of squirrel feces displayed on a Confederate flag, nodding to this contested history.

Curators Ringle and Cecilia Gonzalez Godino note that squirrels have evolved in the American imagination from cherished companions to urban pests, reflecting broader tensions about human control over nature and infrastructure. Wilson’s engagement with scientific experts, including psychologist Lucia Javierson of the University of California, Berkeley, deepened his appreciation of squirrels’ complex behaviors, such as their intricate food-cache strategies and memory.

For Wilson, the residency provided an opportunity to reconsider the squirrel’s place in history and ecology. “I’ve put myself into the shoes of squirrels,” he said, “and I hope the viewer can do that too—imagine themselves as members of a nonhuman species playing an important role in American history.” His work highlights the intelligence and adaptability of squirrels while inviting reflection on the unexpected ways humans and animals coexist in urban landscapes.