Big Sucker by Teresa Milheiro

Object / Conceptual

Published: 23.12.2011

This work is an object to pierce on the body as a leech and an octopus. When the leech is pierced on the body it has a continuous blood sucking and the octopus has several tentacles to reach all the sources he wants. While the piece would be pierced in the body it would become larger. The concept of this work is based on the analogy between an animal that lives from sucking blood from another animal and the big power countries that are permanently sucking the natural riches from vulnerable countries leaving any chance for sustainable development. The black color is connected with the black gold (oil) and the search for these sources that supposedly becoming rare. The form of the object is connected with those animals that were above-mentioned with a big head in black resin that is the main center body and the big flexible legs to reach completely different points of search and with the gold needles on the end legs means just the countries with, money, power, technology, and knowledge can make the prospection from oil and the other riches (as gold, diamonds, etc). The elegance and perfection of the object form, means the political talk, is very correct, and very polite to control, dominate, and force the vulnerable countries to accept the rules. That seems to be a new form of colonialism.