«Today we eat a cow!»

The idea of the «Wendetiere» arose from this sentence that I’ve picked up over lunch in a daycare center, and that left a mild shock not only with the children.

Now I want to produce this high-quality product in content and material, and thus create more awareness of our meat consumption.

The Story behind the «Wendekuh»

One day in a German day-care centre the following situation occurred. It was midday and the children had lunchtime. Everybody got its plate. The carer served the dishes and asked the kids to guess what they will eat today. The group recognized that they have besides rice, carrots, peas and sauce, meat on their plates. The educator wanted to know where the meat comes from. The children said, «From the supermarket.» «But where does it come from actually?» «From the supermarket!» Then the educator revealed, «Today eat a cow!» The children started laughing and replied that this could only be nonsense.

Seeing this real scenario it was obvious for me to design something that reacts to the problematic of our unconsciousness towards food and its origin. Something that helps to form an individual and informed decision on what we want to eat or not, something that helps to connect humans (again) to their environment.

The Project «Wendetiere»

The «Wendetiere» reveal impartially where our meat comes from. The «Wendekuh» and the «Wendeschwein» consist of a double layer of wool felt and genuine leather (Model Berta and Franz). They are intended for people of all ages from three years who consume food.

Once you have turned the shell, the animal will show its inner life: on the left flank the meat parts and on the right its respective typical dishes.

My name is Katharina Karras and I am a young product designer. I have developed the idea of the «Wendetiere« and the first types during my Bachelors degree. By wemakeit I want to realize a production of a small series of the «Wendetiere».

Berta, Franz, Ida and Hugo

There are four different types of the «Wendetiere»:

• Berta: the turning cow made of cow coat (color will vary) and red wool felt, branded with an unique serial number.
• Franz: the turning pig made of saddle leather and rose wool felt, branded with an unique serial number.
• Ida: the turning cow made of grey and red wool felt.
• Hugo: the turning pig made of beige and rose wool felt.

One punching that is sewed with an elastic thread makes the three-dimensional animal body. The heavy but flexible structure of the sandwich construction makes the turning process possible by being stabile at the same time. Every piece measures around 30 cm x 17 cm x 10 cm.

The wool felt is tested for harmful substances according to Oeko-Tex® Standard 100. The animal skins are traditionally naturally tanned.

The German and English versions of the animal carcass and meal plans do not refer to a particular region or a particular country. They collect familiar and unfamiliar terms of different German and English language areas.

The cow and the pig can be used for example on dinning tables, in kitchens, but also on butcher’s counters, in restaurants or in day-care centers and schools.

Applause, Applause!

Since my graduation as an industrial designer three years ago, I have always tinkered with the animals and presented them at trade fairs and exhibitions:

«Slow food» Fair Stuttgart, «Room + Style» Dresden, «IMM» Cologne, «Designers Open» Leipzig, «unitedspaces shop» and «Cookies Show» in Berlin, Ústí and Labem in Czech Republic and at the International Milan Furniture Fair.

The prototypes of the «Wendekuh» and the «Wendeschwein» were nominated for the «Staged Design Award» 2014 (http://www.soffamag.com/blog/2014/1/11/staged-design-award-show) and have won the «Pink Dot design Award» 2016 (http://pinkdot.de).

Your support!

Thanks to your support, a small series of a total of 300 animals will be produced. Not only the product itself, also the production is expected to remain faithful to the objective of re-alienation. So I want to use authentic, high-quality materials for the «Wendetiere», wool felt and skins of small farms. I will purchase the materials from Germany. The production will take place partly in Germany and partly in Switzerland in a social institution and by my own manufacturing with the help of friends.

You can receive exclusively all four variants of the «Wendetiere» here as a reward, with German or English cutting and dish plan. After end of the campaign you choose your preferred language. Of course you can also contribute a greater or lesser amount. I have prepared special rewards, which you can see here in the right column.

If the needed money comes together until August 29, the production will start. Starting with the production of wool felt, to the packaging, you will receive your «Wendetier» expectedly in November. Your animal can serve definitely as special Christmas gift.

I thank you very much for all the support which makes the production of the «Wendetiere» possible!

More of the «Wendetiere» and me you can find via the links at the bottom of the page.

Further Information:

The terms:

The German animals include the following terms:

• Cow: Kopf, Kamm-Gulasch, Bug-Sauerbraten, Rippen-Côte de Bœuf, Brust-Eintopf, Dünnung-Wurst, Roastbeef-Steak, Filet-Chateaubriand, Euter-Milch, Keule-Fleischvögel (not Roulade like in the Foto!), Hüfte-Tafelspitz, Hesse-Suppe
• Pig: Kopf, Kamm-Kassler, Bug-Rollbraten, Haxe-Eisbein, Grüner Speck-Schmalz, Karree-Kotelettsteak, Filet-Medallions, Rippen-Spareribs, Bauch-Frühstücksspeck, Keule-Schinken, Nuss-Schnitzel, Pfote-Sülze

The English animals include the following terms:

• Cow: Head, Neck-Stew, Chuck-Pot Roast, Rib-Eye Steak, Sirloin-Steak, Tenderloin-Wellington Beef, Flank-London Broil, Brisket-Pastrami, Silverside-Corned Beef, Round-Hamburger, Udder–Milk, Schank-Soup
• Pig: Head, Butt-Roast, Picnic-Sausage, Hock-Scrapple, Back Fat-Lard, Loin-Chop Steak, Tenderloin-Medallions, Ribs-Spareribs, Belly-Bacon, Leg-Ham, Knuckle-Schnitzel, Trotter-Pie.