Piggtherapy is a location active project which started in 2005 - an ‘in situ’ installation performance action.
The form of a piggy bank shape has become a symbol through hundrenths of years serve as a pedagogical device to teach the rudiments of thrift and savings to children. The choice of use of the transparent shape in reflect of memory loss, in simulation of existence and non-existence.
The oldest find of money boxes are dated from 2nd century BC in Greek Colony Priene in Asia Minor and features the shape of a little Greek temple.
Pigg = In Middle English, "pygg" referred to a type of clay used for making various household objects such as jars. People often saved money in kitchen pots and jars made of pygg, called "pygg jars". By the 18th century, the spelling of "pygg" had changed and the term "pygg jar" had evolved to "pig bank”.
Greece came to the rule of World Economic Crisis these days of spring 2010.
Going back in time and to the extend of the Piggtherapy Chronicle, one of the longest period the action took place, was in Amsterdam in the ‘Oude Kerk’ between January and April 2007.
Figure
1. Piggtherapy in the Oude Kerk of Amsterdam. Janury - April 2007
Figure 2-3. close up- piggs in the
wooden scaled model in the interior or Oude Kerk
Figure 4. In 'Pavillion' Residency at Gerrit Rietveld Academie. February 2006
Figure
5. In 'Pavillion' Residency exhibition with 'Digital Man'
Illustration, and site specific installation 'Samplin Reflections'
. Ferbuary 2006.
Figure
6. In 'My Space Odyssey' exhibition Gerrit Rietveld Academie. June 2007
Since September 2009 five ‘Piggs’, has been residing in Gallery-Studio «Greece is for Lovers’. A designed mathematical formula is given in order to calculate the price of each small piggy bank according to the grams of the glass piggy in relevance to the pork’s price per gram in the location the sale is completed
.
In cause of the expedition the piggfarm have been rising its number now days in less than a month dated, there is a re-design of the piggs in different features. A. with various currency coins trapped in. B. with specific jewellery. C. with gold. D. with and engraved sign for a potential hole E. with a hole F. neutral as none indication
Figure 7 and 8. Pigg with jewellery and with currency coins, April 2010
On April 21st 2010, documentation of the value of gold in each piggy bank discussed and documented in ‘de Balie’ Amsterdam with Yun Chun Chen jewelry artist.
Mission Track of the Expedition
In congnition of Athenian State, will prologue the arrival of the piggs . The continuance shall deliver one specific(?)‘pigg’ in Damscus and arrive with a large number of piggs to Iceland where the economic crisis made its entrance in 2009. Istanbul will stand as the middle of 'the voyage’ and the critical part of the expedition and Amsterdam will announce 'The Epilogue'
The site specific installations/perfromances and the voyage recordings will evolve in a film as of a memorial o Piggtherapy Expedition - 'Economic Express or Mobility Express’
The ‘Voyage’ is starting in May 2010.
Maria Lalou-April 2010