[Emoore]

A Costa Rican "artist" named Guillermo Vargas Habacuc payed some children to catch a street dog and chained it to a wall in an art gallery where it starved to death as an "art installation." The words "You are what you read" are spelled out on the wall-- written in dog food.

The site is in Spanish, but you can see photos of the "art installation" at this website: http://elperritovive.blogspot.com/

It's difficult to find any coverage in English about this, but if you google his name you can piece together the info.

 

[AnnaRiley]

And I am sure that no one in Costa Rica gives a crap either. I don't think I can look at that website!!!!! This sickens me. Surely, people like this have their payback! God, I hope so.

 

[itsajdamnit]

OOH that really pisses me off. Makes you wanna chain him to the wall and make him watch dogs eat until he starves himself.

 

[romeosmom]

grrrrr

They supposedly "let the dog go at the end"

 

[romeosmom]

I can't understand how people went to see it?

 

[romeosmom]

It's on you tube as well...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-jIP8i1djg

 

[Bluecatdemoness]

I remember when this happened, I was so upset. There is also a petition you can sign, right here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/ea6gk/petition.HTML

I just don't understand how people could just stand there and watch. I don't believe the bit about the dog getting let go at the end either. What a sick sick person, I hope he isn't allowed to attend the Visual Arts Biennial of the Central American 2008. I heard that they decided what he did was actually art, and was going to let him do it again...I haven't been able to find proof of that statement though.

 

[Crabtree]

I wish I had never seen that site. I can't stop crying! I won't sleep tonight.

Oh God, why are people so cruel? How can those people just stand around talking. why wouldn't someone help him?

 

[IsisUnselke]

I'm shocked! I didn't believe it until I looked at the website. I can't understand how out all those people, hundreds, I am assuming, not ONE Human Being there can show some humanity?! That is not art, that is cruelty and torture. Unbelievable.

 

[kaslkaos]

I heard about this first on an artists forum; I won't be looking at that site.
I am an artist, I went to art college, and I know of some other horrible acts of cruelty which I won't get into that were justified in the name of art. (if you really want to know, just google animal cruelty ontario college of art)
What I don't get, is why would the label "art" be any kind of justification for an act of cruelty in the first place. Can't people get their heads around that it could be both? Were does the title 'artist' give license to animal cruelty anyway? Why do people think it might? Even if it is art, and for argument, let's say it is, why on earth would anyone think that it is therefore 'okay'? Cruelty is just that. If it's artistic cruelty, it is still cruelty. Debating on whether or not something is or isn't art completely skirts the issue. Starving a dog to death on purpose is cruel and inhumane. If it is also art, it is still cruel and inhumane.
Sorry, just had to explode on this one. Just tired of the strange notion that 'art' is an excuse to behave badly.

 

[romeosmom]

I am an artist too- and I would never call that art. Performance art is not animal abuse!

 

[Timber1]

I believe this is the second post regarding this issue. Nonetheless, my opinion has not changed. Take the artist out to the parking lot and start firing.

?There is no excuse for what the person did.

 

[drkcloud4u]

I can't bring myself to watch it.

But I have an idea, let's kidnap the guy--bring him to some abandoned warehouse chain him up & leave him there.
Or maybe even set up some sort of "Saw" scenario--like in the first one with the saw & the chain, but the saw won't cut through the chain....catch my drift??

 

[CertainlySpoiled]

I can't watch it, just last week here in KY there was a man who had been starving a great dame, and he was half the size of what he should have been, the entire night I was so disturbed by the images, that I couldn't sleep any, it sickens me to see people treat animals in such cruelty! How do they sleep at night?

 

[Strongheart]

Art is supposed to serve our humanity, not detract from it.

This is one of those people who I believe just does not have a soul. The Guff is empty.

 

[Brightelf]

And for each and every one of us struggling to fight diseases in our beloved dogs, fighting hard to dispell discomfort or pain... this is beyond sick. Strongheart is right, I cannot imagine this man has a soul-- to cause pain and suffering to a living being, watch that suffering, be utterly unaffected by it, and deliberately highlight it for his own glory.. under the name of 'art.' Sick.

 

[lcht2]

Originally Posted By: SomePupI'm shocked! I didn't believe it until I looked at the website. I can't understand how out all those people, hundreds, I am assuming, not ONE Human Being there can show some humanity?! That is not art, that is cruelty and torture. Unbelievable.

i was thinking the same thing!! that ******** needs chained and whooped. im defenitly not apposed to sending a dog on this man...no i shouldnt say man, this sick, cold hearted ******!! i dont care what anyone says, i would watch a person like this be torn to shreads by a dog or two....

 

[bearlasmom]

http://guillermohabacucvargas.blogspot.com/
i was furious beyond furious when i read it and seen people standing there having champaign and watching this poor animal die. EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO WENT TO THE SHOWING IS AS SICK AND TWISTED AS HE IS. God, what ever happened to humanity. i would do anything for any animals, wild or a pet or domesticated! To see that was beyond anything i could handle. i would love to have him in a factory, chained, and believe me, he wouldnt go quietly like that poor dog.
as people ahve pointed out here, we do everything possible for our animals, some go broke at times trying to help them and this sick twisted, heartless soulless monster does this? i dont know how he sleeps. and to know that he plans on doing it again. i feel like booking a flight and going on a bit of a trip,
i am a part time artist (for my own pleasure) and i own a garbage/recycling business and it was seeing people like him getting off in court that i quit being a paralegal. half the problem is, that in the eyes of the law, a dog is nothing more than property, its not considered a living being in most places, (like whre the artist is). dang im so mad im breathing fire! this 5 ft momma wants to rip her teeth into him. dang

 

[bearlasmom]

drkcloud i love the warehouse idea, but leaving him there, nahhh, im thinking, lay out a buffet right out of his reach and having alot of people stand there day in day out taunting him with food and water until he dies like the poor dog, or maybe as you said, apply a saw technique or two, if they arent bad, im sure that we could all come up with something worse. i cant beleive he is geting away with the dogs death and is going to get away with it again gosh im good and mad, i sobbed when i saw it, i grabbed all my fur babies and hugged them so hard it wasnt funny, bearla wouldnt stop licking the tears off my face

 

[ded37]

ASPCA RESPONDS TO OUTCRY OVER “STARVING DOG” EXHIBIT



http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pag...8edwc6.app26b#1