Starving dog is used as 'ART' exhibit by Maria Daines on The Pipeline at IndieMusicPeople

Starving dog is used as 'ART' exhibit

Costa Rican artist Guillermo Habacuc Vargas has enraged animal welfare and rights advocates, by displaying a starving dog and leaving it to die as part of an 'exhibit,' during an art show at the Galeria Codice in Nicaragua.

A boycott of the artists work, already supported by over 3000 signatures, is gaining world wide attention via an online petition, when it became known that Guillermo Habacuc Vargas was chosen to represent his country in the 'Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008.'

The artist, allegedly, did not permit the dog to be given food or water during the event and subsequently the dog died where it lay.

Concerned animal welfare activists state that exhibiting a live, starving dog, is not 'art' but quite clearly, animal abuse.

Links to the story and petition -

http://www.petitiononline.com/13031953/petition.html

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

http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2007/octubre/04/aldea1263590.html

http://www.abc.es/20071006/cultura-arte/provocacion-repugnante_200710060253.html

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10/16/2007 9:26:40 PM

That's unbelievable. What is wrong with people?

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Tony Vani and Debbie Hoskin

10/16/2007 10:17:17 PM

I'm just sick over this. I wasn't even going to comment because I'm too horrified. We have to support and stand behind the animal activists. This shit goes on all of the time while we sit on our butts oblivious to it. It kills me to see this poor starving helpless beautiful animal.

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Troy Beadles

10/16/2007 10:21:39 PM

Next time we want to get a pet? Lets all make an oath to go adopt one from a shelter before they put him/her down instead from a breeder! We can save lives! Something like 4 Million Animals are put down every year from shelters. Unbelievable or what? Sad, sad, sad! People are so irresponsible and mean.

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Stegor

10/16/2007 11:36:05 PM

A starving dog is not art. Neither is a crucifix in a jar full of urine. This sort of thing pisses me of - not just because it's cruel, but also because people seem to think they can do anything they want as long as they call it art.
Nope. It ain't art. And I'm pleased to tell you Guillermo, you're not an artist. And Costa Rica - you got some 'splaining to do.

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Pulse Eternal

10/17/2007 2:05:38 AM

What on Earth do you say about something as despicable as that?!

Guillermo, you are a sick individual who does not deserve the right to be considered a member of the human race!
I am absolutely appalled by this disgusting display of cruelty. That poor dog!!

Guillermo, I hope I never set eyes upon you. It is against my principals to be cruel to anyone, even those I despise but it would be VERY difficult for me to hold back if I ever saw you in person!

Petition signed.

SuperPuss

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Maria Daines

10/17/2007 5:22:07 AM ---- Updated 10/17/2007 5:28:19 AM

Thank you all for signing the petition, it seems the only way to give this dog's suffering a voice, too late to save him or her but it may prevent this from happening again in the name of 'art'.

The exhibition also included a phrase, written on the wall with dog food, 'You are what you read', it really is despicable.

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Pulse Eternal

10/17/2007 6:11:35 AM

Maria,
I realise I have only just posted here but I simply cannot look at that poor dog without shedding a tear. I wish I could've been there to save him/her.
Contrary to popular belief, cats and dogs DO get along!! Meow!

SuperPuss

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Tony Vani and Debbie Hoskin

10/17/2007 8:09:05 AM

Yes, I signed as well. Tony signed. I'm emailing this to everyone I know to sign. I can't scroll past that poor little angel anymore. I have to close my eyes. I feel like such a coward. I can't look at him. I just break down. deb

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10/17/2007 11:04:37 AM

outrageous & sick

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Chris Pollard

10/17/2007 11:07:00 AM

I cannot in my life imagine people just walking past, seeing this dog in such distress and suffering so WITHOUT DOING SOMETHING TO STOP IT - How I wish I had been there - all hell would have broken out for sure - one thing for certain is that dog would have been taken from there, fed, watered and loved and on it's way to recovery ! ! ! Now it would have been such a special display had this sorry excuse for a human being TAKEN THE DOG AND CARED FOR IT - HELPED IT TO SURVIVE - NOW THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GIFT FOR EVERYONE THERE - THE ' ARTIST ' AND MOST CERTAINLY THE DOG ! :(

I hope this individual, and the gallery who allowed this disgusting display get taken to court and charged with extreme animal cruelty - ! But there is NO punishment strong enough which could fit this crime !

Mary Alice and Chris
Cornwall's Voice for Animals UK

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SILVERWOODSTUDIO

10/17/2007 9:50:20 PM

My big mutt is watching as I type (Temba doesn't watch screens) but this is sick sick stuff!!!
Stegor speaks for me----how low can humans sink in the name of Art!
Art is about creating not destroying-------SHAME!

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SqurlyMurly

10/18/2007 11:18:40 AM

As I was reading this, my thoughts were so enraged and I thought, "how can I comment here without compromising how I feel?".

Thank you, Larree. You took the words right out of my mouth. This moron is a despicable piece of crap who deserves less compassion than he showed that poor wretched creature. With any luck, someone will chain him to a bare wall, call it art, and let him get a taste of starvation.

Sometimes I believe certain countries are right when they proclaim; let the punishment fit the crime. When are people going to come to their senses? God help us all, cause this world gets crazier by the second.

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The Man With No Band

10/18/2007 8:56:25 PM

I will probably be despised for what I am about to write but I sincerely hope you will not all, flat out hate me...
First I'd like to say that I agree with everything everyone has said here and maybe there is no more to this story than the eye can see... but just possibly there is...
I learned a long time ago that only thinking inside the box is very destructive...
For one moment I'm going to go out on a limb here and for the purpose of examining this issue, I'm going to pretend that this guy is an artist...
Since most art is subjective to the interpretation of what people see, I'm wondering what it is that this guy is trying to say... Aside from the obvious cruelty and suffering... the following is what I see...

That is you and me on that leash... All mankind... All animalkind... All life on this Earth...
Chained to our way of thinking... slowly dying as we watch our food and water supply become poisoned and dissappearing...

You all have expressed your displeasure and find this display reprehensible...
that's good,at least we know mankind still has compassion...
What I find even more reprehensible is that mankind is more than willing to come together over something like this (because it happened to a dog) but are unwilling to come together over the larger picture...
We would condemn this man for the death of a dog, while collectively we are killing everything on this Earth....
Are we upset because we can see this dog dying before our eyes ? or because we are afraid to really open our eyes and see that everything is dying ?

I don't like what this guy did and maybe I'm way off base as to his intentions...
but I think it is just totally sad that it takes a picture like this to make people take action.. maybe that is what the artist is trying to tell us...

We don't see the thousands of children that are already on a chain starving to death... that's our chain you know...
You all say... "What is wrong with this man" ?
I say... "What is wrong with us" ?

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Maria Daines

10/19/2007 5:34:19 PM

Thanks for everyone's comments and for signing the petition. The petition gives us a way to speak out against the artist being chosen to represent his country, but I understand that this may already have happened. It also gives us a way to speak up for the dog, somewhere to direct our anger or disapproval. There are now over 26,000 signatures which speaks volumes. If the artist was trying to prove a point I think he could have done so without adding to the suffering of a living creature but I agree with you man with no band, there's a whole world of sorrow and poverty out there and the only good thing to come from this may be greater awareness of the lack of animal welfare in that part of the world and maybe now people are looking at what can be done to help, still such cruelty in the name of art is beyond belief and so upsetting. How could people have been there and not intervened? This says a lot about our world today.

Here's a rough translation that was sent to Mary at CVFA with a note regarding the change of info on the petition -

And the petition link as the banner link isn't working -

http://www.petitiononline.com/13031953/petition.html

From here -

AT THE PETITION SITE, THE AUTHOR CHANGED THE LINK TODAY BECAUSE THERE IS BAD NEWS, THE "ARTIST" WAS ALREADY ELECTED AS REPRESENTATIVE OF HIS COUNTRY AT THE BIENAL CENTROAMERICANA HONDURAS 2008.

TRANSLATION OF THE TEXT IN THE PETITION SITE:

An artist from Costa Rica named Guillermo Vargas, known as Habacuc, is involved in a big controversy because of the death of a street dog in Exhibit No. 1 shows that took place last August in Managua (Nicaragua).

Defenders of animals in Costa Rica learned of his work through a blog yesterday and accused him of cruelty.

In this blog can be seen pictures and a description of the exhibition 'Habacuc' in Nicaragua.

What we saw in Managua. As part of his presentation, the artist showed to the viewer a street dog weak, sick and hungry tied to the corner of the room. He captured the animal in a poor district of Managua.

The dog died the day after the exhibition, as was confirmed to The Nation by Marta Leonor Gonzalez, editor of the cultural supplement of La Prensa in Nicaragua.

The exhibition also included the phrase, written with dog food, "You are what you read"; As well as an audio with the Sandinista anthem played back,wards photos and a burner, which burned 175 rocks of crack cocaine and an ounce of marijuana.

Habacuc said yesterday that his work was a tribute to Natividad Canda, a Nicaraguan who died after being attacked by two rottweiler dogs in a workshop in Carthage.

"I reserve say whether it is true or not that the dog died. The important thing for me was the hypocrisy of people: an animal thus becomes the focus of attention when you put in a place where people go to see art but not when he is on the street died of hunger. The same happened to Natividad Canda, people were sensitized with him until the dog ate it, "he said.

He added: "Nobody came to free the dog nor given food or called the police. Nobody did anything."

When questioned about whether or not fed to the animal, the artist refused to respond.

Why not use other means of expression? "I size what I look ... The dog is more alive than ever because made the people speak, "he said.

Anger tico. Several advocates of animal rights repudiated the work of Habacuc, disqualified him as a work of art and suggested that the artist was excluded from Bienal centroamericana Honduras 2008, because he will be one of the six representatives of the country.

"I was shocked when I see that he promotes cruelty to animals in a work of art. Submit a letter to prohibit cruelty in the arts and to try that this guy does not represent the country in the bienal, "said Gina Malavassi, animals defender .

Jose Morales, vice president of the Unidad Especial de Protección y Rescate Animal, said. "The dog was tied and without food;

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10/19/2007 10:22:03 PM

To 'The Man With No Band': I understand your post however it would've been better served if Guillermo himself was tied up, not an innocent & defenseless animal tortured to make a statement through his 'art' or express his viewpoint regarding humanity or society.
-c

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The Man With No Band

10/19/2007 11:01:29 PM

Hidden Symmetry ... I agree ... except to say that if he chained himself I don't think anyone would pay attention ...
My point was that everyone is willing to jump up in an outcry because he actually put a physical chain on an animal that was already suffering and starving on the streets and we think it's deplorable...
yet we close our eyes to the animals and the human children that are suffering the same fate everyday but we pay no attention because they lack a physical chain...

We shoud condemn this display... I totally agree... but it should not take this kind of thing to arouse us into action...
We should condemn ourselves along with this man, as we are as sick as he...

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Jeff Allen Myers

10/19/2007 11:02:00 PM

Man with no Band....

You are a creative soul, and I think you are giving this artist too much Credit in his expression. He should Paint a Fricken Picture of the Dog...superimpose a dying earth in the Background.....use color...express pain. Nope, that would take to much Talent. This so called Artist is an Idiot, Period.

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10/19/2007 11:27:13 PM

The Man With No Band,
like I said I understand your point but I disagree. You speak of physical chains but there's also 'mental chains' in society also; that shouldn't mean he should perform lobotomies in a gallery & under the guise of art to express 'HIS Viewpoint.'

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The Man With No Band

10/20/2007 12:02:19 AM

Hey Jeff ... Thanks for that compliment ... I never claimed to be the sharpest tool in the shed .. :)

Hid. Sym. ... Please feel free to call me Sam .. (it's shorter to type) .. :)

Thanks for the mind spar.... BTW it caused me to check out your page and pick up a song... good stuff

Maria ... sorry for clogging your blog ... I think you do great work ...
I'm just bored ... :)

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Troy Beadles

10/20/2007 1:04:21 AM

As I mentioned, millions of animals are put down in the U.S. every year. As cruel and sick as this public display, I now see it as a an art, whether I like it or not, it has brought us and the world together to think and realize the sacrifices good or bad for the sick and the healthy to not neglect nor abuse and to be humane as for humans and ALL animals and all earthly life. Many points brought to my attention and can't say while thinking about this I haven't thought about what you all have said. But as I stand, that beautiful dog was one sacfrifice for ALL of us to find a common ground to save millions! That's all I've got to say!

Troy B.

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Troy Beadles

10/20/2007 1:04:21 AM

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Maria Daines

10/20/2007 6:55:21 AM

Troy I totally agree with you, the horrible deed has been done to this dog, his suffering is over, but everyday healthy, loving and trusting dogs are put to death because the damn world can't get its act together and lobby government to make humane changes to stop the over breeding. I repost countless bulletins on myspace for dogs on death row and blog the stories of the innocent in the hope that someone across the other side of the world, mostly USA (UK has the same problem too) will take pity and make some space in their life and family for another homeless soul. Backyard breeding, fighting with dogs, cruelty to animals, all manner of abuse takes place day after day. Advocates, friends of the earth, rescuer's, caring people do whatever they can hands on or from a computer, spreading the message that this is wrong, too many puppies are born to die, children are scavenging for something to eat and drink on landfill sites in some parts of the world, we all do what we can, but without changes in law and help from authority figures - most of whom seem to be tangled up in what war to wage next (a whole other story) we cannot change the bigger picture by ourselves, we are ordinary people that don't have much say individually, perhaps together we can change the course of history, there is a unity in compassion. To quote The Scary Guy, every man woman and child must teach children how to teach love. If those way above us don't want to listen, don't want to put any money or resources into saving, into education, into making life better for the poverty stricken, then they will surely be the minority one day.

I believe the area of Nicaragua where the dog was taken from is very poor, and yet the poor live alongside the extremely rich, as in parts of Brazil, how can you make someone who has too much understand the plight of those that have so little that they can't even afford food every day of the week? I have no answers apart from realising that we will get nowhere unless the whole world works and speaks out against this endless suffering, together. Right now it's a mess. But if we all do something in our own communities to help and reach out to those struggling to cope, we might have some chance to make a better world in the years ahead. And every single act of cruelty, neglect, abuse, should not go unpunished, zero tolerance to any form of oppression or violence against the weak. That's why I'm glad the world is speaking up for this dog, we should do this for every lost soul and I hope we will.

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Carolyn Stewart

10/20/2007 1:48:24 PM

This is just sick ....

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