In this TED Talk, Dutch artist Christien Meindertsma, explores products and materials in thoughtful ways. She records and lays bare the complex and hidden processes of their origins. Information nearly invisible to modern global consumers.
Meindertsma is the author of the book, Pig 05049, which looks at the astonishing afterlife of the ordinary pig. She documents the astounding array of products that different parts of a pig, named 05049, could support.
The often obscure lines that link raw materials with producers, and products and consumers are revealed.
Through Pig 05049, Meindertsma reveals the lines to at least 185 non-pork products, from bullets to artificial hearts. These are lines that have become more and more invisible in an increasingly globalized world.
Additional information:
- http://www.ted.com/ TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks. TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.
From the Porkopolis Archive:
- Gypsy pig parts – Any worthwhile acquisition of practical protections against the dangers of this world must include a gypsy pig, butchered, with parts destined for the table and parts destined for occult charms.