
Bin Laden
2002
In this provocative work, Wim Delvoye tattoos the image of Bin Laden alongside Christian and Muslim iconography — including Bernini's *Saint Teresa in Ecstasy* and the Hand of Fatima — onto the preserved skin of a pig, rendered in deep blue ink reminiscent of a ballpoint pen. The pale, hair-covered skin initially unsettles the viewer with its uncanny resemblance to human flesh, before a deeper layer of transgression emerges through the deliberate desecration of sacred symbols from multiple faiths. By inscribing these loaded religious and political images onto pork — a creature forbidden in both Islamic and Judaic traditions — Delvoye constructs a densely layered provocation that challenges cultural, religious, and political boundaries simultaneously.
- Medium
- The present lot is of unusual nature – an image of Bin Laden, largely in dark blue ink, almost resembling a biro, spreads over the skin of the back and legs of a pig. It shocks the viewer on many levels – the pink colouring of the skin together with its fair hairs creates the first impression of a human skin being displayed; another shock comes from the insult of connecting Bin Laden, Christian & Muslim icons, such as Bernini’s Saint Teresa in ecstasy, irreverently entangled with Fatima’s hand, the whole tattooed on the skin of a pork, a forbidden animal in both Muslim and Judaic cultures.
- Spotted At
- Auction House · Phillips
🔨 Auction Lot
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale
October 6, 2016
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