UP! - HAVFRUEGRISEN (The Mermaid Pig)
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Mette Skriver
9. - 30. September Ceramic sculpture. Ceresbrønden, City Hall square Frederiks Allé 6A, 8000 Aarhus C Ceresbrønden is a water fountain sculpture that is considered one of the landmarks in Aarhus. In Venice they have a winged lion, in Copenhagen the Little Mermaid. In Aarhus we have a sow with piglets, also called the pig fountain, by Mogens Bøggild. The fountain is inspired by the Bible story about the prodigal son who ended up having to eat with pigs. Bøggild did not include the son in the sculpture, yet he is now revived by the artist Mette Skriver. A foreign pig with a fish tail instead of back legs has moved into the fountain underneath the other piglets. An awkward and odd new citizen. The mermaid pig is a reference to Aarhus being a harbour city. And a reference to the cultural significance the pig carries in Denmark and in Aarhus, the city that marks the centre of the fertile agricultural zone Central Jutland. The mermaid pig also refers to the potential that the pig carries for humanity and for science. The pig’s DNA is so much like ours that we experiment with growing organs and tissue that can be transplanted from pigs to humans. |
Illustration by Diana Dovgialo
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