Tattooing Pigs

"Wim Delvoye (born 1965 in Wervik, West Flanders) is a Belgian neo-conceptual artist known for his inventive and often shocking projects. Much of his work is focused on the body. He repeatedly links the attractive with the repulsive, creating work that holds within it inherent contradictions- one does not know whether to stare, be seduced, or to look away. As Robert Enright wrote in Border Crossings, "Delvoye is involved in a way of making art that reorients our understanding of how beauty can be created." Wim Delvoye has an eclectic oeuvre, exposing his interest in a range of themes, from bodily function, to the Catholic Church, and numerous subjects in between. He lives and works in Belgium, but recently moved to China after a court of law judged his pig tattoo art projects illegal." (Wikipedia) 

           "Pigs have more to do with the human being than they would ever admit." 

               -Wim Delvoye

I personally feel that Wim Delvoye's tattooing of pigs is social commentary about the relationship between human beings and other animals, or perhaps even more simply about human narcissism. It is commentary about the humans' innate feeling of superiority over all other animals, and the sanctimonious relationship we have with animals: who we exploit/mistreat/torture, as well as rely on for medical research, and subsequently our lives. The idea of making this backwards logic into an art exhibit gives of an aura similar to that of graffiti, or street art, due to it's element of détournement:

"a technique developed in the 1950s by the Situationist International and consist in "turning expressions of the capitalist system against itself." Détournement was prominently used to set up subversive political pranks, an influential tactic called situationist prank ..In general it can be defined as a variation on a previous media work, in which the newly created one has a meaning that is antagonistic or antithetical to the original. The original media work that is détourned must be somewhat familiar to the target audience, so that it can appreciate the opposition of the new message." (Wikipedia)

While, a part of me cringes with disgust in the fact that he is tattooing (causing physical pain) to the pigs for an art exhibit, I think that the way society justifies our horrible treatment of animals, I can not look away. Vim's pigs really make me think about a lot. Compared to the PETA videos I've seen, the pigs in this video are on holiday... which allows me to get over the initial shock.

In a way, Delvoye is FORCING people to utter hypocritical words in their outrage against the tattooed pigs. "He is hurting them", "it is wrong to slaughter them"... any argument against the exhibition can be easily refuted just by realizing what we already do to animals.




VIDEO OF WIM TATTOOING PIGS:


http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/lincolnshire-farming-blog/2008/11/francis-bacon.html


ARTICLE ABOUT HIS BAN FROM EXHIBITING IN CHINA:

http://myartspace-blog.blogspot.com/2008/09/wim-delvoye-is-banned-from-exhibiting.html

PHOTO GALLERY:


http://www.wimdelvoye.be/artfarm.php#


It also brings up another idea that I have considered frequently: the social identity of tattooing as taboo sub-culture in most societies throughout the world. Animals do not recognize tattoos. The pigs don't notice the tattoos on themselves or each other, as Vim mentions, they don't identify with the superficial outer skin.
This may sound silly.. but in many ways animals are more wise due to the absence of frivolous human consciousness.

Wim Delvoye's work can be looked at from many perspectives, even simply that he views tattooed individuals as pigs.

Tattooing is taboo in itself, and the fact the he is tattooing consent-less animals, he is perhaps commenting on our cultural domestication and the illusion of individuality.

Do the tattoos on the pigs have the same function as tattoos on humans?