How can slowly starving a restrained animal to death possibly be “Art”?

This resurrects the immortal argument about what is “Art” and about who gets to say what is “Art”. And I will say loudly that deliberate cruelty is not “Art” — it’s psychopathic, and criminal.

Below is an excerpt of a forwarded e-mail I received from a friend. I want you to read it. And then I want you to add your name to those who will speak for the animals.

This sends chills up my spine!!! I’ve tacked on the [poorly] translated-to-English version at the bottom here, just so you know what the petition states, but you’ve got to click on the “Sign Petition” on the Spanish version for it to go thru… But PLEASE sign this! Torture is just that – plain & simple. It is NOT Art! I don’t know if these online petitions ever actually accomplish anything, but we can at least put up one hell of a protest!!

Rita
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PLEASE copy and paste the information below and send it out to everyone in your email address book.
Kate

PLEASE ~ this is very important to sign and forward.

From: [e-mail address deleted for privacy]
Subject: PLEASE sign
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 9:48:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time

To All People Who Care About Animals,
In 2007, Guillermo Vargas Habacuc, a so called ‘artist’, took a dog from the streets, tied it up to a short rope attached to a wall in an art gallery, and, in the name of “art” let it slowly die of hunger and thirst. For many days, the author of this horrible cruelty and the visitors of the gallery were simply spectators of the poor animal’s torture, until it slowly died after an absurd and incomprehensible agony. Do you think this is cruel? No doubt you do but the story doesn’t end here: the prestigious Biennale Centroamericana of Art has decided, incomprehensibly, that the utter cruelty committed by the aforementioned individual is ‘art’, and Guillermo Vargas Habacuc has been invited to repeat this sadism at the 2008 Biennale Centroamericanan which will be held in Honduras. PLEASE! LET’S STOP HIM! Sign here: http://www.petitiononline.com/13031953/petition.html

When you arrive at the signing page, Ciudad / Localidad: (required) – This means “Your city.” Pað(c)s: (required) – This means “Country.” You don’t have to pay nor register, and its worth doing it so that this man will never be appreciated nor be called an artist for performing such a heinous act, for such an insensitivity and for provoking another living being’s pain. It takes just ten seconds of your time. Please help to avoid the unnecessary, cruel and sadistic suffering of an innocent animal.

PLEASE SEND THIS MESSAGE TO ALL YOUR CONTACTS.
Thank you, Jed
p.s. If you ‘google’ the ‘artists’ name you’ll see other web pages related to this matter.

Don’t believe it is true?? Go here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyn5GoLbPn8&feature

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English translation (poorly done, but you can catch the tenet & gist), but remember, you still have to click on the Sign Petition in the Spanish version above.

To: 2008 Biennial Central Hondura
14 setiembre 2007 – Del Diario la Nación de Costa Rica leemos: 14 September 2007 – The Journal’s Office of Costa Rica read:
http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2007/septiembre/14/aldea1239344.html
Amid controversy, the Costa Rican Biennial Visual Arts (Bienarte) 2007 opened last night strict and small selection of works and awards to six artists with the pass to represent the country in the 2008 Biennial Central Honduras.

Artists winners in this sixth edition of the prestigious appointment of contemporary art were Errol Barrantes, Habakkuk Guillermo Vargas, Oscar Figueroa, Mimiam Hsu, Stephen Stone and “The gang of submerged-emerging” (Sila Chanto and Jhafis Quintero).

The jury, composed of Ana Sokoloff (Colombia), Oliver Debroise (Mexico) and Rodolfo Kronfle Chambers (Ecuador), chosen based on works of high quality and excellent consistency between idea and execution, as described.

Bienarte is organized by the Operators of Art.

******************

One of the “artists”, Guillermo Vargas Habakkuk (http://www.marcaacme.com/blogs/analog/index.php/2007/08/22/5_piezas_de_habacuc) led to the death of a dog by starvation during the event.

It is unacceptable that in this way trample the rights of animals and that the “artist” would have collected from the street to be left to die tied with a rope to the wall of the gallery when he had the opportunity to not do it or even save it.

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From Blog Rodrigo Peñalba
http://www.marcaacme.com/blogs/analog/index.php/2007/08/22/5_piezas_de_habacuc

“According knew the dog died the next day for lack of food. During the inauguration knew that the dog was chased in the afternoon between the houses of cardboard and aluminum of a neighborhood of Managua with the name of a saint that Habakkuk who was unable to specify in the moment. children 5 of those who helped in the capture of 10 cordobas received bonuses for their cooperation. during the exhibition some people called for the release of the dog, which he refused artist. dog’s name was (was) Nativity, and I leave him to die of hunger in full view of everyone, as if the death of a poor dog was a shameless media show in which no one does nothing but applaud or look puzzled.”

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Nothing we can do for this dog treat but if that organizers of the 2008 Biennial Central Honduras does not admit to this “artist” abusive animal. We ask you adhere to this request and to disseminate as much as possible this shameful act to collect signatures and a maximum of veto in the biennial.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned

View Current Signatures

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There it is. Sign your name to the petition. Speak for the animals.

And tell dumb shits like this twisted bastard that cruelty is not “Art”. Monsters like this visionless, no-talent, grand-standing perv are giving a bad name to real artists everywhere, and his indefensible actions will only encourage other psychopaths — who will not likely stop at animals — to commit similar atrocities, and then claim to be ‘artists’.

This monster belongs behind bars, not in an art gallery. His ‘art’ should be tagged as ‘Exhibit A’, not in a lauded fine art exhibition.

Speak for the animals who have no voice of their own.

You owe it to the animals. You owe it to this planet you live on.

Sign your name, now: http://www.petitiononline.com/13031953/petition.html