Art can kill - It did kill a dog, It happened live in Nicaragua.

i know what i am about to say may anger alot of people but i have to say i am suprised more people havnt taken different sides. i agree that this is animal cruelty and over the top, but i think if he wanted to get this politcal message through to people, he had to go over the top. you can't really call it art, inless art is simply the presentation of opinions and interpretations used to cause an effect in people.
there are no doubt critisisms in this, what he did was cruel and unfair and i myself am i dog lover. but i have to say this 'project' fascinates me. what he was saying is that it is not just him who shows cruelty, it is every one of us. we let dogs die on the street without more than a glance, we see starving children on our tv screens, we run our taps excessively when people in other countries die of dehydration and parasite infested water. his whole point was missed, what he did might have felt wrong and upset us, but in reality what he has done is no different than what we see and do in everyday life. we let animals die, we let people die, we eat animals, we use them in farming ,for hunting entertainment, (im not in agreement with hunting etc. its just its going on everyday) it is only that he reminds us of this that we shy away from it and get angry, protecting ourselves so that we feel innocent and not in blame, did anyone that visited the gallary attempt to rescue the dog? (actually asking because i think that's quite important)
i hope i have not offended people by saying that this work is fascinating, i just think sometimes you've got to look beyond what you think you 'know' as wrong or right, this act of cruelty may have been 'wrong' but maybe we need to let that go and look beyond it and see the real political statement, for how are you meant to argue a point of view whilst ignoring the other side?

They are asking him to repeat his "art from" this year in november (2008) at the same nicaraguan festival to sign the petition online to STOP THIS INJUSTICE you can go to my page and follow the link. My article is called "Guillermo Vargas Habacuc - A cruel "artist"". It also says some of his side of the story.

--Jade

FROM: http://luckybunnynyc.blogspot.com/2007/10/starved-dog-as-art-update.html

The "artist"- Guilermo Habacuc Vargas, Galeria Codice & all those people at the exhibition did nothing and let a sick starving animal be tied up to a gallery wall as an exhibit- they deserve no kindness. They say the dog did not die and conveniently "escaped" the next day, but those people had a chance to help but did not. I would like to believe that one day all those complicit in this horrible exhibit will meet the same justice in their hour of need: chained up and sick- their misery & starvation displayed in the name of art with no help in sight.

I just received more information from the director of the gallery who has informed me that the dog had been fed regularly by the artist and the dog really did escape. I asked what they had intended to do after the exhibit and she said that she intended to take the dog to her farm.

I also asked this: didn’t any viewers protest & try to release the dog during the exhibit if they thought that the dog was really being starved to death?

Her reply: no one protested nor tried to release the dog. Most of the audience were young artists who surely assumed that the dog was not going to starve. Next day, when the dog was already gone, two or three young women artists came to offer to adopt the dog.

Do you believe her or not? Let me know what you think.

I feel some sense of relief from her response, but I still find the "art" inhumane.

why on earth was he allowed to disply the poor dog and who is he to telll people not to attend to the dog that wasnt even his.i hope the gallery closes down from this and the artisrt has anyone ever heard of the sick freak?or is this their idea of getting free cheap publicity .the "artist" and gallery must be desperate.these people have a serius mental problem to allow and veiw this .i would have taken the dog myself had i been ther.whhat could anyone do no one owened the dog ,at least i would have gave it a drink and or soft food ,even if it was its last meal.i hope these siclos are sterving one day and reach out fr help.and get what the poor dog gottheir lives shortened deliberately.

I remember this item. It was brought to my attention through a subscriber on MySpace, Maria Daines. This Guillermo Vargas went way beyond insensitivity with his "art" which can only be described as callous, barbaric, inhumane and outright torture. Real artists create, not destroy; real men don't kill a helpless creature just because they can.