Pig 05049 chronicles the many consumer products that were made from a pig called 05049. The book offers an insightful look into how this one animal, a single source, provides raw material for a vast number of everyday objects.

Meindertsma’s clinical presentation of each laboriously researched object, page by page, organised by body part, follows the progress of the dissection of Pig 05049 and the subsequent use of each part. Some products, she found, are expected and familiar whilst other diverge dramatically, such as: ammunition, medicine, photo paper, cigarettes, conditioner and bio diesel. PIG05049 is currently in its 5th edition.

The book won the Dutch Design Award in 2008 and the Index award in 2009 in the category Play.

SPECIAL CREDITS: Julie Joliat (graphic designer)

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Christien Meindertsma

Christien Meindertsma thoroughly explores the life of products and raw materials in her work. In some instances, the result of her projects may be the record of a process itself. In others, her investigations lead to commercial products. Careful investigation and documentation, themes of local production and underexplored resources characterise her work. Meindertsma seeks to reveal processes that have become distant in industrialisation and encourage a deeper understanding of the materials and products that surround us.