Would you eat your own leg?

Would you eat your own leg?

I’m sure we’re all quick to firmly say no, and I’m willing would bet there would be other comments of assurance afterward, redeclaring how revolting that statement sounds. But, we consider these questions under relatively normal circumstances.

Anthropophagy, or cannibalism, was a big staple piece for Brazilian artist Paulo Herkenhoff and his project, XXIV Bienal de Sao Paulo (1998). It encourages cannibalism and views the western world as a group of savages. This produces the question; at what point would something as gruesome as this become acceptable? It’s easy to say never but take this situation. You’re stranded, deserted and starving to death. Your friend has died from starvation, and you’re left two options, die or eat your friend. At what point have we crossed the line of morality and succumb to the savagery of cannibalism.

Paulo Herkenhoff’s work is polarizing, and it raises a lot of questions. Mainly, what would you do?