Starving dog exhibit reported as a hoax

[Andee Rudloff]

Starving dog exhibit reported as a hoax

The story of a dog being starved to death as part of an art exhibition appears to have been falsely reported by Costa Rican newspaper The Nation, according to new sources. I reported the appalling story here last week among global outrage about the exhibit and a reported invitation to repeat the work elsewhere.

It has now emerged, however, that artist Guillermo Habacuc Vargas intended the work to be a stunt to show how a starving dog suddenly becomes the centre of attention when it is in a gallery, but not when it is on the street. The work was intended to expose people for what they really are - "hyprocritical sheep". He said that in order for the work to be valid, he and the gallery had to give the impression that the dog was genuinely starving to death and that it died.

Juanita Bermúdez, director of the Codex Gallery, stated that she would not have allowed the dog to be mistreated, that it ate and drank regularly, and that it was allowed to escape back to the streets from where it was taken at the end of the exhibit. "It is conceptual art and a work that leaves a social message", she said.

The stunt provoked massive outrage on a global scale, and over a million people have signed an online petition to try and prevent another dog being starved to death in a repeat of the exhibit. Unconfirmed reports say that the artist even received death threats and, judging by the vehement anger I've seen in response to this story, that would not suprise me.

The strange thing is perhaps how you react knowing now that this was a hoax. I suspect, like me, you still feel angry, perhaps that it's sick, and that your initial reaction was totally justified. But though I may not agree with his shocking methods whatsoever, I have to admire Guillermo Habacuc Vargas' ability to inspire such a reaction and, in that sense, didn't he achieve what he set out to do? Whether it qualifies as 'art', conceptual or not, is a totally different matter...

On Thu, Apr 17, 2008 at 8:56 AM, <Susan.J...@roanokeva.gov> wrote:

This was sent to me today. Does anyone know if  this really happening or is
it a hoax? If for real, sure gives the art world a black eye.

Susan Jennings
Public Art Coordinator
City of Roanoke
Department of Economic Development
111 Franklin Plaza
Roanoke VA 24011
(540) 853-5652
susan.j...@roanokeva.gov
www.roanokeva.gov/publicart

" I feel strongly that the visual arts are of vast and incalculable
importance. Of course, I could be prejudiced. I am a visual art"  - Kermit
the Frog

[Dste...@aol.com]

I googled it fairly thoroughly, and my impression is it is inconclusive-or their word vs the galleries word..

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[Beth Gilmore]

real artists don't have to play tricks to get a reaction to their work.

Beth Gilmore

[DJ Justice]

 

Albeit somewhat tacky in nature, the social commentary was valid and therefore effective. Point being, we are talking about it. 

 

[neetd...@aol.com]

We also talk about the wars, global warming, the homeless.......but I see no value in spreading a hoax that was so horrific I was unable to think of much else.
Please people, there are many great causes...  Why not take up one of those and go forward in a positive manner.  Oh yeah, I know....that doesn't work most of the time.
The humane race needs to be shocked into action.  Remember this hoax next time you see a sick, starving man or beast.

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