The photograph captures the rounded backs of two pigs: a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig in the foreground and a domestic pig beyond. Set against a blue sky, their gentle, rounded contours form a landscape reminiscent of rolling hills. The animals’ bodies become part of the landscape, creating an image of an almost ideal world: peaceful, harmonious and free from danger.
This idyllic landscape refers to a real place where the relationship between humans and animals takes a different form from the one we are accustomed to.
"97 Pigs" tells the story of Chrumkowo, a sanctuary for animals that have been given the chance to live beyond the roles traditionally assigned to them by humans. Many arrived here following interventions prompted by mistreatment. Others in similar circumstances have not been so fortunate.
At Chrumkowo, humans are not a source of danger. On the contrary, they provide the animals with safety, care and the freedom to express their natural behaviours. This care extends beyond physical needs to encompass emotional well-being. The pigs respond with trust, seeking contact and closeness. A relationship based on reciprocity emerges, in which the presence of another being becomes valuable in its own right.
During one visit, the artist witnessed a remarkable scene. As a caretaker sat on the ground, a pig approached her almost immediately, lay down beside her and pressed itself against her body. This spontaneous, unprompted gesture became a testament to closeness and mutual trust. It revealed a dimension of the human–animal relationship that often goes unnoticed in our perception of farm animals: their capacity to form emotional bonds, express attachment and seek affection.
Perhaps such relationships are not exceptional in themselves. What is exceptional, rather, are the conditions in which we allow them to flourish.
Ninety-seven pigs live at the sanctuary. In another context, this number might simply indicate the size of a livestock herd; here, it represents ninety-seven individual lives. Each animal has its own history, needs and way of experiencing the world. Their daily lives depend on continuous care, while the sanctuary’s future rests both on the dedication of its caretakers and on society’s willingness to support such initiatives.
Will places like Chrumkowo become a lasting part of our world? Are we ready to recognise that a relationship with an animal can be based not on its usefulness, but on mutual trust and respect for its individuality?
In this context, the photographic landscape takes on a particular significance. Its harmony arises from more than the composition of the image. It also reflects a reality in which animals can experience safety, closeness and peace, and in which humans become their guardians rather than a source of threat.
97 Pigs offers a glimpse of a world that might seem utopian, yet is entirely real. Whether such relationships will remain exceptional or become an accepted part of our shared future?
2026 Photography. Limited edition 10 pcs, pigment print on the cotton Fine Art paper, 640×900 mm (500×750 mm without borders)