From Tale to Tail: Unwinding the Twisted Life Story of PIG 05049

Pig 05049 is a book and research project by Dutch designer Christien Meindertsma that chronicles the many consumer products were made from pig called 05049. The offers an insightful look into how this one animal, single source, provides raw material for vast number of everyday objects. Meindertsma’s clinical presentation each laboriously researched object, page page, organised body part, follows progress dissection subsequent use part. Some products, she found, are expected familiar, whilst other diverge dramatically: ammunition, medicine, photo paper, cigarettes, conditioner, bio diesel. PIG currently in its 5th edition. won Design Award 2008 Index award 2009 category Play. article lightly edited transcript conversation between Commodity Frontiers editor, Maarten Vanden Eynde Meinderstma September 2021.