An artist who intended to starve three piglets to death as part of an art installation has changed plans after the animals were stolen.
Marco Evaristti, born in Chile, wanted to highlight the suffering caused by mass meat production with his controversial exhibition in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The piglets were being denied food and water and would have eventually died.
However, Mr Evaristtti said the piglets – named Lucia, Simon, and Benjamin – were taken by animal rights activists, assisted by his friend, Caspar Steffensen.
The piglets in the And Now You Care exhibition, before they were stolen. Pic: AP
“I reported the piglets as stolen to the police on Saturday and had to close the exhibition due to that. I was very disappointed when Caspar informed me on Tuesday that he was involved in the theft,” stated Mr Evaristti, who also received hate mail.
“After reflecting, I decided that at least this way, the piglets would have a better life.
Copenhagen police confirmed reports of the pigs’ theft from the exhibition.
Mr Evaristtti’s exhibition, And Now You Care, featured a makeshift cage made from shopping trolleys containing the three piglets.
Artist Marco Evaristtti. Pic: AP
The aim was to raise awareness of the cruelties involved in modern pig production in Denmark.
Animal Protection Denmark claims that sows in the Danish pig industry are selectively bred to produce about 20 piglets at a time; however, with only 14 teats available, piglets are forced to compete for milk, often leading to starvation.
Nevertheless, several animal rights groups criticized Mr Evaristtti’s exhibition, stating that while they supported efforts to raise awareness, they did not endorse animal abuse.
Mr Steffensen stated that he couldn’t allow the three animals to face such a painful fate, especially after his 10-year-old daughter begged him to “make sure the piggies won’t die”.
“So when an activist asked for my help to free the animals, I let them into the gallery secretly on Saturday,” he said.
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However, Mr Evaristtti stated that he intends to revive the exhibition and is looking to obtain dead piglets from meat processing plants to display to the public.
“I’m currently in the process of acquiring animals that have died from starvation or other terrible circumstances in agriculture. I plan to exhibit them in a transparent refrigerator,” he told Denmark’s Ekstra Bladet.
His goal is to fill the transparent refrigerator to bursting point with the dead animals, aiming to demonstrate how animals in agriculture are confined to small spaces.
With the refrigerator already acquired, he is now seeking the deceased animals.
“I’m willing to pay a high price,” he added.
