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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

Pig 05049 is the result of a three-year study during which Rotterdam-based Christien Meindertsma tracked all 185 products made from 05049, a pig she selected at random from a commercial farm in the Netherlands. While the book includes expected food products like bacon, pork rinds, and sausage, Meinderstma’s book illustrates numerous items less commonly known to be made from pigs, including pharmaceutical tablets, X-ray film, insulin, antifreeze, heart valves, paper, cigarettes, and even the glue that binds the pages of the book. While neither a call to arms nor an activist manifesto, the work uses the life of a single animal to critically explore the complexity of the meat-processing industry and the relationship between man and livestock. Ultimately, it forces a greater consideration of the resources required to make products and how we treat and use them.

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

2018.789.2

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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