The “necessities” of the Brazilian artist Marepe are a thoughtful fusion of the Duchampian readymade and DIY strategies common in the Brazilian streetscape. Reflecting on the way that mass-produced commodities circulate in his country – often ending up in landfills, while deprivation exists elsewhere - Marepe repurposes everyday objects into sculpture. In the case of Embutido IX, the components evoke lightly built birdcages. This practice echoes that of catadores (independent trash collectors), who engage in constant creative recycling. Through a displacement of this marginal vernacular trade into a fine art context, his works tacitly pose the question: what is really “necessary,” and for whom?