I don't like to complain about things, but I thought that this was an important issue that should be brought up.

These next few paragraphs were taken from the journal of ~Eidolon-Grey

"In one of the most disturbing stories of human inhumanity this year, a man masquerading as an artist in Costa Rica had local street children catch him a stray dog. He then tied the dog up in a swanky art gallery and proceeded to starve the dog to death as "art". Furthermore, he paid the same local street kids to chase the dog to exhaustion everyday in from of the gallery crowds.

He said he wanted to make people uncomfortable, and that people protesting this dog's fate were merely highlighting the hypocrisy that we would protest a dog starving in a gallery, but not look at the same dog if it was out on the street. What he seems to have missed by a million miles is that there is a world of difference between a dog on the street who has a chance at scavenging for food, finding shelter and running away from tormenting children and the dog tied up and starving to death in a gallery on public display. He then said that he'd done this to highlight the case of a burglar who had broken into a house whilst the owner was away, and who starved to death when the guard dogs trapped him in a room. I have no idea what he was trying to highlight there...

Had he truly wanted to be artistic, he would have spent weeks taking photographs of the strays on the streets and posted them up framed with dog food, or even created a lifelike sculpture of a starving dog so that he could point out the hypocrisy of people spending time talking about how moving the sculpture was when they ignored the real dogs. Instead, he commits an act of inhuman cruelty, and encourages impoverished children to participate in it.

The story gets better. He not only is lauded as a visionary, but has been chosen to represent Costa Rica in the country’s 2008 bicentennial celebrations. What will he do this time? Starve a street kid to death on a stage of diamonds to highlight the hypocrisy of a child dying of hunger in a rich city?

Please, I urge all of you who care not only about animals, but also about the arts, please write to the gallery who have sponsored this monster and who have supported his selection as a representative of his country

Please be aware in the links below, the photo's of the dog's last dying hours are sad and moving to any who love animals. There are instructions on how to protest this travesty of cruelty in the name or art. Sadly all far too late for the poor dog who suffered and died for the crowds, but perhaps it might save the next victim he decides to use to "highlight" something.

The links below have photos (May contain mature content and graphic depictions of death).

More here - [link]

Here - [link]

& Here - [link]

In case you would like to do something without risking looking at the photos, Here is the gallery info;

Email Address:
info@madc.ac.cr

Location:
Centro Nacional de la Cultura
Antigua Fábrica Nacional de Licores.
Avenida 3, calle 15/17. San José, Costa Rica.
Teléfono: (506) 257 7202 / 257 9370
Fax: (506) 257 8702

And in further addition here are the details of the Costa Rican embassy in the USA (for your own country just search "costa rican embassy (your country)") - [link]

And here is the letter that I sent. Feel free to copy it and edit as you wish and email, fax or send it to the gallary address. I titled it with the name of the "artist".

Quote:

Dear Sir

I am writing regarding the horrifying actions of Guillermo Habacuc Vargas, who paid local children to catch a dog on the street and then confined,starved and publicly displayed the dog as an "art" exhibit until the innocent animal died of starvation.

I along with many people world wide am outraged that Guillermo habacuc Vargas has been selected to represent Costa Rica in "Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008",This man is by no definition of the word an artist. He is a sadist and enjoys inflicting prolonged suffering upon his innocent victims. he is a danger to all of society, as those with the capacity to intentionally cause harm to an animal have the same capacity to harm humans.

To state that this animal would have died eventually of natural causes is unjustifiable and beyond logical, rational thinking. Being chained up in a gallary and unable to at least scavange for food is hardly natural.

To allow Guillermo Habacuc Vargas to represent Costa Rica in Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008 will in no way benefit Costa Rica. The world is watching and the actions of this so called artist has brought much negative light on the lack of compassion of the people of Costa Rica, the fact that the many witnesses of this animals suffering did nothing and that the organizers of this event allowed this rather than taking action to see that Guillermo Vargas be criminally charged with animal abuse is sending the world a message that Costa Rica consists of a cruel, uncivilized society that has no regard for life but enjoys viewing and contributing to the loss of life.

Each and every person who knew of and witnessed the suffering of this innocent dog is equally as guilty of causing its uncalled for death.
And to let this crime go unpunished and instead be awarded by Guillermo Vargas representing Costa Rica in Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008 is unacceptable and shameful to Costa Rica.

I urge you, do not condone the heinous actions of Guillermo Vargas by allowing him to participation in Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008. He should be jailed and prosecuted to the fullest extent of law for this animals death, and not supported as representing Costa Rica as an artist. He is not an artist and to refer to him as such is an insult to all true artists.

Sincerely,

(Insert name here)

Please also, if you could, send this bulletin out as a bulletin of your own. You don't have to credit me as the author, just spread the word.
Thank you for reading."