The title body_factory juxtaposes two seemingly incompatible concepts, reflecting the ambivalence of industrial slaughterhouses. While body suggests something organic and living, factory indicates cold, technical production.

Although these locations are crucial for the high meat production of our consumer society, their operations are usually hidden from the public view and everything which happens there is widely ignored by consumers despite their rising demand for cheap meat. There’s a significant gap between the consumption of meat and its production: Many enjoy meat, but few want to know about its origins, leading to a psychological phenomenon of repression.

body_factory aims to reveal the invisible connections between consumer habits and the often-overlooked realities of meat production in industrial settings, encouraging a deeper engagement with a subject central to our consumption-driven lifestyle. It wants to make the invisible visible by exploring both human and animal protagonists involved in this industry and their stories.

The installation features three thematic groups, each shedding light on different aspects of slaughterhouses, the labor involved, and the implications for our everyday meals.

in_equal reality

- part 1 -

table, tablecloth, screenprint and digital print on ceramics

various formats

A rectangular table, covered with a white tablecloth resembles a festive meal. A black-and-white patterned runner stretches across the table. Six decorative plates are arranged on opposing sides, suggesting fictional places for an upcoming gathering.

Initially inviting, the table reveals discrepancies upon closer inspection: the plates depict scenes from conventional animal factory farming and slaughter, occupying the areas where food would normally be placed. The “runner”, which is made out of 24 equal ceramic tiles, shows a bird-perspective pattern of a massive herd of cattle. Reminiscent of American feedlots, the tiles allow an infinite continuation of the pattern, symbolizing the endless number of animals in factory farming.

The table installation merges scenes of animal industry with a festive table, highlighting two realities often separated in everyday life despite their direct connection. The reality of factory farming andmass slaughter is the same as eating conventional meat, yet they are typically perceived as distinct.

in_visible bodies

- part 2 -

triptych, oil on chiffon

each 160 x 300 cm

Three equally sized, semi-transparent fabric panels are vertically suspended at equal distances apart. They serve as a permeable dividing line, splitting the exhibition space into two halves. One cannot move from one side of the room to the other without touching them and engaging with them both physically and mentally.

The painted motifs, initially appearing as a repeating pattern, reveal a dense array of animal bodies that are visible yet not visible: Their large mass is present, but one can still see clearly through them to the other end of the room. The paintings on the delicate chiffon represent the three animal species most commonly kept as "livestock" in industrial farming, ultimately processed into products for human consumption.

The title of the work highlights an existing antagonism: on one hand, "livestock" rarely appears in our daily lives as living beings; they are kept out of sight, especially in industrial farming. On the other hand, they exist in such large numbers that their biomass far exceeds that of wild animals: over 90% of all mammals and 70% of all birds globally are kept as "livestock" for human use.

in_visible stories

- part 3 -

series of 6 portraits

oil and screen print on canvas

each 80 x 60 cm