Victa & Victus. 2012. Material: various synthetic materials, metal, glass, ivory, silk, prepared rat- and rabbit-fur, animal vibrissae (whiskers). Dim.: 270x 250 x 340 mm. Base and showcase 450 x 450 x 1300 mm. Victa & Victus means "the conquered" & "the way of life"/"that which sustains life" in Latin.
Victa is wearing a coat of prepared rat- and rabbit- fur taken from roadkill, and an ivory necklace and bracelet. The cultivated, over bred dog as accessories or surrogate child, who is dressed for a fortune, stands in stark contrast to the "vermin" and animals that get hit on the road. This work also concerns the remarkable standard of external beauty that we desire from our pets as well. The consequence is that these pets do not have a normal or bearable life due to e.g. serious health issues and unnatural lifestyles.