Adelaide Tam

Department: Food Non Food
Website: www.adelaidetam.net

0.9 GRAMS OF BRASS

WHAT
For a mere 5 cents this slot machine reveals a secret about the price of a lost life and offers you a small reminder in return.

WHY
The meat industry’s slaughter practices are kept far away from the consumer. Adelaide Lala Tam wants us to rethink the value of a cow’s life by transforming the brass cartridge casing of the stun gun — the only thing left over from the killing process — into an everyday object.

HOW
After inserting 5 cents, you see a short movie and the machine produces a paperclip. It is made of the same 0.9 grams of brass for the same price as the cartridge casing, representing both the monetary and the ethical value of a cow’s life.

QUOTE
It’s mass-produced, cheap and easy to forget.