Wim Delvoye is a sculptor, performer, and video artist. He received his education in Ghent and represented Belgium at the 1990 Venice Biennale. Two years later, he displayed pigs at Documenta IX (Kassel) that were tattooed under anesthesia with the help of a veterinarian. In 2003, however, his pigs were not allowed at the Watou Poetry Summer.
Delvoye’s work combines a fascination with craftsmanship with production processes that are not directly related to art. His Caterpillar #5, which was featured at ARTZUID 2011, is a characteristic example of this. Irony and banality often play a role. He does not shy away from provocation, but at the same time presents his work as very serious, leading to discussions. He was a participant at ARTZUID 2019, and in 2023, he will participate with Untitled, the well-known cement mixer in a Gothic form.
He plays with ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture, blending social hierarchies and classes. Meanings and associations are often not what they seem. The pig – traditionally a smart animal – has become a product for the meat industry. A pale pink counterpart to humans, a symbol of stupidity.
His Cloaca produces anonymous feces, a metaphor for creation itself and a simultaneous relativization. Delvoye is more interested in societal questions than in the form of his work. Art should shock.
Delvoye’s work is included in the collections of major art museums. In 2008, he bought Corroy-le-Chateau at a public auction to turn it into a museum of contemporary art. However, this did not come to fruition. Later, he bought a castle in Melle, where he clashed with authorities over building and environmental offenses. He also opposed the construction of wind turbines around the estate.
www.ftn-books.com has several publications on Delvoye now available.
