text and image roberto voorbij
Despite of Wim Delvoye being a self-professed vegetarian are his tattoo pigs on the first place no artworks that ask attention for the, as well urgent, issue of animal rights and animal welfare. Delvoye once summarized the concept as a ‘piggy bank’. The pigs can indeed be regarded as symbols for mass production, which increase in value by pimping them with a tattoo and then simply letting them grow. By placing the tattoo when the piglets are still small the tattoo will freely grow along in size and value. Because these, on an actual Chinese pig tattoo farm bred, artworks eventually serve in a gallery context, is what Delvoye first of all wants to criticize the artwork itself as object of speculation.
Wim Delvoye – tattoo on pigskin, tanned.
Wim Delvoye – tattoo on pigskin, tanned.
Wim Delvoye – Sahand (2008). Stuffed carpet pig, 51 x 108 x 27 cm.
Wim Delvoye – Sahand (2008). Stuffed carpet pig, 51 x 108 x 27 cm.
Wim Delvoye – Drawing for tattoo (2006). Mixed media, 75 x 55,2 cm.
The exhibit at Galerie Rodolphe Janssen ran until October 30.
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