For the sake of "ART"?

[The Artful Lost]

"To: Central American Biennial Depth 2008 14 September 2007 - In the newspaper the Nacion of Costa Rica we read: http://www.nacion.com/...aldea1239344.html

In the middle of polemica, the Costa Rican Biennial of Visual Arts (Bienarte) 2007 inaugurated last night a strict and small selection of works and awarded six artists who happen to represent the entire country in the Central American Biennial Honduras 2008. The artists awarded in this sixth edition of the prestigious appointment of contemporary new art were:
Errol Barrantes, Guillermo Habacuc Vargas, Oscar Figueroa, Mimiam Hsu, Esteban Stone and 'The band of the submerge-emergent ones' (Sila Chanto and Jhafis Quintero).

The jury, integrated by Ana Sokoloff (Colombia), Oliver Debroise (Mexico) and Rodolfo Kronfle Chambers (Ecuador), chose with work base of great quality and excellent coherence between idea and execution, according to details. The Bienarte is organized by the Industrialists by the Art.
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One of the "artists", Guillermo Habacuc Vargas (http://www.marcaacme.com/...5_piezas_de_habacuc) allowed the death of a dog by starvation during the event. He is inadmissible that pisoteen of this form the rights of the animals and that the "artist" had gathered it of the street to let it die moored with a cord to the wall of the gallery, while he have had the opportunity of not making it or even save the dog.

From the blog de Rodrigo Penalba (http://www.marcaacme.com/...5_piezas_de_habacuc):
'According to what I knew to the dog died on the following by lack of food. During inauguration I knew that the dog was persecuted in the evening between the houses of aluminum and cardboard in a district of Managua with santo name who Habacuc that could not need at the moment. 5 children of which they helped in the capture received 10 bonds of cordobas [some money] for the collaboration. During the exhibition some people requested the freedom of the small dog, to what the artist refused. The name of the dog was (it was) Natividad, and I let myself to him die of at sight hunger of all, as if the death of a poor dog was a media show impertinent in whom nobody does nothing, as that to applaud or to watch disturbed.'

We cannot do anything more for this dog, but if to treat of which the organizers of the Central American Biennial Honduras 2008 do not admit this "animal abuser artist". I request to you to join in this boycott and that you spread as much as possible about this shameful act, to gather maximum of signs and support and to veto him in the Biennial. "

Usually, I try not to bother with these things... it's not that I don't have a conscience or I don't care, but it is humanity as it has evolve so far. Not everyone sees things the way others do... but this case is different to me.

He dares to call this "ART". As an artist myself (not a biased dog lover), I just can't see how letting this dog die, tied by rope no less, constitutes as an "ART" display.

I'm not going to go ballistic and try to sway you, I just want your thoughts on this. Would you do something to get this 'artist' to pay for animal abuse or would you pass it by and agree it is piece of award-winning 'art'?

[Jeremy]

um....well I dont really understand what happened, not sure if the article wasnt well written, if it was a translational problem or what...but the guy tied a dog to a wall of the studio as a piece of art? I dont understand, how could he have known WHEN the dog would die...and was the death the 'art'? there needs to be more context for me to understand this.

secondly...if that is what happened, how was he allowed to get away with it? were there not people around who would simply feed/water the dog? did he physically fight them off? what about laws...did no one contact the authorities and point out what was happening? this whole things seems not-real, like that whole 'bonsai kitten' thing from a few years back.

personally, i'd not have let the artist stop me, i'd have cracked him in the face and brought the dog some water, or better yet just taken the dog with me somewhere.

no, of course this is not art....the act of letting a dog die is not artistic. yes, I know art is subjective...but there are plenty of dogs dying elsewhere in the world that isnt considered art, why would this be?

[love it]

Well, i didnt read that because i dont fancy having my blood pressure go through the ceiling. Not by the broadest definition could this be considered an art work or performance by any reasonabley sane person. Luckily for him i'm not determining his sentance. It reminds of the girl who claimed to induced abortions for her art peformance (apparently that has been revealed as a hoax).

[Divya Jyoti]

horrendous and sickening.. and all the people waited for the dog to die before writing an article? because someone starving LOOKS like its starving!! no one bothered? the link was an spanish i think.. couldn't read.

[love it]

More on this here

[The Artful Lost]

I see this is really starting to pick up internationally and it's really sad to see that now rumors are clouding over the original truth. Before, there was the fact that the dog was indeed deceased, now they say he was released... and fed regularly by the artist himself, but now even Vargas is refusing to speak up on his behalf.
Well, with this publicity helping /hurting him now, his 'artisitc' reputation is going to go somewhere... and fast. If he makes it to the next exhibit, I don't think that the visitors will take kindly to what happened before. Someone is going to make a move.

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