‘cloaca No. 5’ is a mechanized sculpture that reproduces the human digestive system in every stomach-churning detail. it is part of an exhibition which runs until valentine’s day at the universite du quebec’s art gallery in montreal.
cloaca, a towering steel, rubber and glass contraption, is fed twice a day with cafeteria leftovers during the exhibit. it is part of an exchange with the alberta college of art and design, which presented cloaca No. 5 in calgary last summer.
‘I wanted to make something that is absurdly unnecessary…’ creator, the belgian artist wim delvoye explained his creative process: ‘I don’t think this biologically correct machine belongs in a science museum. I don’t have that ego. I’m not helping sick people. I’m practically useless in society.’
at the end of the tract, the machine produces feces, which are then vacuum-packed
delvoye has exhibited around the world and a previous model of cloaca was on display in toronto in 2004.originally developed in 2000, he put together a complex machinery at the museum of contemporary art in antwerp, belgium. see all cloaca machines by wim delvoye