When I received the invitation to participate in the project “Você gostaria de participar de uma experiência artística?” I didn´t had many doubts regarding what to do. I knew I wanted to do something simple and involve friends. Since I live in a very little village in the countryside, I thought that the best would extend the invitation to my neighbours and do something together.

On a hot afternoon in August, I knocked the door of my friend Moncho Caneda, a fifty-something years old farmer I met when I moved to Prada; which is the name of the tiny village, 15 km away from Santiago de Compostela. His wife opened and said she would go and call him. I apologized because I think I interrupted the “siesta”, which is something sacred in Spain, and more specially in the summer.

She refused my apologies and shouted loud calling Moncho. Moncho showed up quickly and I told him what I was doing there, and why I needed his help. I told him about Ricardo´s project, and that maybe we could do something together. I showed him the sculpture and told him that I found it a as a pretty good recipient to feed the animals. He didn´t seem stranged at all, and immediately agreed.

First we went to feed the hens. Moncho cut some fresh turnip tops and said that they were hen´s favorite meal. We left them inside of the structure and waited. And waited, and waited… the hens moved around but didn´t pick any of the turnip tops. They seemed terrified and any gesture made them run away.

We got fed up with them and went for the sheeps. They were also scary but at least bite something and ate. They did it all on a once, packed one to each other, as one expects sheeps would do. They seemed to like the turnip tops pretty much.

Finally we brought the NBP sculpture to the pigs place. They loved it, and didn´t hesitate. They devored the remaining turning tops in a few seconds, and one of them even tried to continue eating the metal piece. The other played with the “eye” inside, and put his nose into it, looking for who knows what.

Moncho was quite proud with the job his pigs did, and invited me to drink a glass of house wine afterwards.

As a resume, I could say that pigs were very kind and collaborative, sheeps too afraid, and hens complete idiots who kind of missed the artistic experience!

Pedro de Llano and Moncho Caneda. Prada, August, 2013