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Pig 05049

A work made of paper.

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  • A work made of paper.

Date:

2007

Artist:

Christien Meindertsma
Dutch, born 1980

About this artwork

During a three-year study, Rotterdam-based Christien Meindertsma tracked all 185 products made from a single pig she selected at random from a commercial farm in the Netherlands. She created this book, named after the pig’s processing number, to provide an illustrated overview of her research. While featuring expected food products like bacon, pork rinds, and sausage, the volume also catalogs numerous items less commonly thought of as pig by-products, including pharmaceutical tablets, X-ray film, insulin, antifreeze, heart valves, paper, cigarettes, and even the glue that binds the pages of the book.
In this work Meindertsma used the life of a single animal to explore the complexity of the meat-processing industry, the relationship between humanity and livestock, and the consumption of resources.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Architecture and Design

Artist

Christien Meindertsma (Designer)

Title

Pig 05049

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

2007

Medium

Paper

Dimensions

20 × 15 × 4 cm (7 3/4 × 5 3/4 × 1 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of FLOCKS/Christien Meindertsma

Reference Number

2018.789.1

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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