Costa Rican Artist Under Fire For Starving Dog As Part Of Art Exhibit
Warning: This story may disturb some readers.
There is global outrage over a Costa Rican artist, Guillermo “Habacuc” Vargas, who tied up a starving and sick stray dog as part of an art exhibit in Nicaragua in August.
Vargas paid two children to catch the stray dog. He then tied the dog in a corner of the gallery and informed others to not feed the dog or give him water. The dog died after a day.
As part of his art exhibit, Vargas included a legend spelled out in dog food reading “You are what you read”, photos and an incense burner. He said his piece was a tribute to a Nicaraguan burglar that was killed in Costa Rica by two rottweilers that were guarding the property.
Vargas said: “I won’t say the dog died. The importance to me is the hypocrisy of the people where an animal is the focus of attention where people come to see art but not when it’s in the street starving to death.â€
The artist has been chosen to represent Costa Rica in an art event, “Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008″. There is an online petition that is boycotting Vargas and is asking that he be banned from participating in this event.
Sources: Costa Rica Blogs, Care2
Photo: The GinBlog
(Thanks John)
April 12th, 2008 at 3:02 am
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April 15th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I think turn about is fair play. I would be willing to do the same to this poor excuse for a man/artist !
April 17th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
someone should start a group to raise money to hire some one to take care of this sick person
April 18th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
this man is not an atrist he has perverted what art should stand for the couragous fight for humanity and freedom. He has made art about oppresion and destruction, the willful torture of a sentient creature.
April 18th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
the dog was not harmed. it was given food and water. this whole thing was done to relay a message: that people only cared about it because it was in a gallery, and not when it was in the street. it was to show all you people who are suddenly in outrage are just sheep.
know the facts
that is all
April 21st, 2008 at 11:06 am
This is not art it is animal cruelity! Whether the dog died or lived. He should be sent to jail!
May 5th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
well, “not a sheep”. this poor animal was left there to WASTE AWAY! he was NOT fed and NOT watered while he was there, and DIED BECAUSE OF IT! i want to see you chained to a wall with nothing. see what you do! anybody who says this is not animal cruelty must be as SICK an individual as that man!
May 19th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Put the freak in jail please, because he is sick. Whoever doesn’t think that this is wrong needs to go see a doctor, because something is definitely wrong with them.
June 8th, 2008 at 6:36 am
he is not a man, but a worthless piece of s*** who should be hung by his b@lls, have the s*** kicked out of him, starved, and left there to rot. what he did to this poor innocent animal was disgusting. he should not be allowed to live. for anyone who thinks this is ‘art’ just go die because you deserve to. this guy is sick and makes the human race look bad. i hope he suffers a slow LONG painful death. This man is an embarrassment to artists! R.I.P poor innocent dog :(
and by the way ‘not a sheep’ the f*cking b@stard could have proved his point by doing something to help the dog, not leave it there to die! u need to do the world a favor and go choke!
June 10th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Ridiculous sick basterd. Let the punishment fir the crime!See how he likes it…
July 7th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
When dogs are starving out on the streets of third world shitholes like Costa Rica and Honduras, it is sad. It’s not “art.”
July 19th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Nobody fed the dog? Nobody cut the rope? It is art, and it says a lot about people… The dogs death, which was inevitable anyway, was made meaningful in pointing out what a useless, hypocritical, apathetic, “evil” what ever that is, race we are. The man is a genius and should be commended for making something so simple announce something so clearly. Next time they should grab a homeless bum and tie him up, tell people not to feed or water him and see if anybody does anyway.
Guess the law might get involved then? Maybe?
July 19th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_Vargas
I just found the above link
Have a look at this before you judge him, I like this man, in fact I love him.
September 25th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Please - understand he did this only to draw attention to exactly what is happening! People only care becasue it is in the news, had you seen the dog on the sidewalk near your home would you have taken it in? No! you would have left it to die just as the thousands of people who walked past the dog did… Not one SINGLE person tried to help it. Not one SINGLE person dared to feed it, or water it.
Anbd as a side note, the dog did not die, he took very good care of it while it was displayed. The dog was only diplayed for three hours each day - the rest of the day it was given a good home with food and water.
September 30th, 2008 at 4:09 am
To “PEOPLE”, just so you know I would care for a dog on the streets who I could clearly see was starving and I know many other people in the world who still have a heart would as well - so dont generalise. Secondly, if he took such good care of it,
why it died skinny and miserable in a cold, hard corner? Sorry but that seems like torture, not ‘good care’. Try thinking through the logic of your posted comment for a few seconds and you’ll find its absolute rubbish.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I think the person who did this needs to be staved in front of his parents and then maybe he can learn about art.