Artist Guillermo Vargas - Habacuc

Most definitely a cruel thing to do. However, there is no evidence that the dog died or that Habacuc fed him, but it is still a very, very bad thing to do to a living animal. Hey, Habacuc, how would you like it if we tied you up, left you there for days...weeks...while there is a giant cheeseburger a few feet from your reach. And people can stare at you. POOR DOG. ): This act should NOT be repeated in the name of \"art\". Never. EVER.

becker: you have spoken like a true psycho sociopath. so, why not starve yourself until you find out what happened to this dog. in fact, why not starve your family, tie them up, until you learn ampathy

1. I hate the fact that people are discrediting the fact that he is an artist because of one piece of work that not everyone agrees with. 2. It is still very unclear whether the dog was let go or not, so why is everyone jumping to conclusions when the story is not totally clear? 3. He didn\'t put the dog in that condition, the dog was already like that. 4. It show cased how big of an issue strays are there....i went to Morocco and their were cats all over the place. Many were very very thin like this dog. I took pictures because it was a sad sight and I wanted to show how different of a world it is there. Does that mean that I committed the crime of cruelty to animals? 5. I read someone else\'s comment that said how no one seemed to do anything about the fact that the dog was tied up or had no water (all those who saw it at the exhibition), so i agree, these people are hypocrits and very quick to judge and condemn. 6. Now because of this image, people are more concerned about bashing some guy than helping the issue he was trying to showcase. Seriously, no one gives a shit whether dogs are starving and dying in the streets there, all they are concerned with is bashing this ARTIST because they have nothing better to do. 7. It is a great piece of art. Not only does it focus the attention of how bad conditions for some animals are and how out of hand it is, but it also helps us realize that all of you who are criticizing the artist are not helping the cause either. He just proved that all of you who say this is \"cruelty\", are not focusing on furthering help to these animals. You are all sitting back and not doing anything. You are all talk. 8. Don\'t we have tons of artists who go over seas and see the malnourished kids in other countries? Don\'t they snap photos of these kids? I know from viewing something like this that not all shots like this are simply natural, some are posed. Look at the commercials put on TV that advertise trying to help a child who is skin and bone, dirty, disabled etc.......that was all posed. All those pictures are considered art by the people we consider artists who took them. Artists posed shots and videos to get help for these kids. Guillermo simply posed a serious problem and suceeded in getting attention, however, people took it the wrong way. 9. I just want to stress again how we do not know all the details to this story. 10. You all need to be more open minded and not so quick to judge.

I just recently heard about this story and researched it. Not only am I appalled by the horrific cruelty of the dog by the \"artist,\" I am more disgusted by the patrons who paid money to see this exhibit and who failed to rescue the dog. Regardless of whether or not the dog was previously sick/starving, the dog could have been saved with the proper treatment. If it was the \"artist\'s\" purpose to expose the over-population of starving strays, than there are thousands of other ways to prove this point -- a needless killing NOT being one of them. And shame on you other writers who commented on this article with your \"he\'s just proving a point,\" \"you nag but don\'t do anything,\" and \"see? we\'re all numb to the concept of suffering people (pets).\" Don\'t try to over-evaluate situations. Pure and simple: killing is wrong and should not be accepted as art.

He proved a point despite the obvious cruelty of it all, we all become complacent and passive, just like in wars and famine in other parts of the world even with news delivering images and stories about suffering and injustice.

I THINK HE NEEDS TO BE KILLED HE HURT AN INNOCENT ANIMAL SO HE NEEDS TO BE SHOT! IF HE DOES THIS AGAIN I WILL TURN HIM IN! NO ANIMAL DESERVES THAT AND WHY DIDN'T ANYONE DO ANYTHING TO HAVE THE DOG RELEASED? ITS NOT RIGHT AND ITS NOT ''ART''! DOESN'T THIS GUY KNOW THIS?

Yet again another so called 'artist' thinks of a brilliant way to shock and cause controversy.

Yes it was cruel, but i guess he has succeeded in achieving what he set out to do and that is make his name name (in)famous worldwide. We are all feeding his desire and making him more famous.

This man is evil he kept the dog on a leash too short to even get to the food and water so he let the dog die.

Think about this before you guys start bashing this guy a little bit more.

He tied the dog with a rope that can be easily be open, and NO ONE in the name of so called screaming cruelty BOTHERED to untie the dog?

He put the title of the art with dried dog food, ANYONE bothered to peel it off and feed the dog?

Anyone BOTHERED to bring water and feed the thirsty dying dog?

ANYONE called a police?

Don't yap cruelty, when all you did was nag nag nag.

Which proved his point that all you do is
- stare
- complain
- sign something anonymously
- did NOTHING.

I declare shenanigans, shenanigans i tell you! Show me the proof of abuse!

i think all u guys commenting are so funny..u dont even know the artist, you dont live there, u've never walked those streets and yet ur so hasty to condemn him. i'm sure that man made a GREAT point.

Stop bashing the guy. i have to pass by a homeless guy (who has no hands) every morning on my way to work.. and he's just one of the thousands lying around on the streets if anyone really just cared to look.

People are in dire need of help and its always a great thing if some one can point this out. I doff my cap at this guy for raising the awareness..i dont care what you all say. whatever his reasons were, this is a better-than-hoped for response! my 2 cents

There's no point condemning this guy if he did actually help the dog more than anyone else would have by giving it food and water.

Just because he displayed the dogs suffering in an art gallery doesn't mean he was causing it.

The dog was already a starving stray, he just bought attention to that.

While I disagree with the act, some part of me was able to appreciate it; however, I did not enjoy it by any means. I think this adequately represents the unsettling indifference of humans when something else suffers.

The average middle class family in a first-world nations has approximately 10 TIMES the amount of money to live a healthy lifestyle; yet, we constantly bombard ourselves with materials and ignore the famine occurring abroad. Why is this one act so discernible when we turn a blind eye to human oppression and suffering.

Suffering exists in the world - it always has and it always will - and people and other animals will continue to endure suffering as means to an end. Political oppression and slavery will always continue to exists and world peace is delusional.

Instead, we should embrace suffering and designate it to a meaningful end. Although the act was horrific, it proved what it set out to prove, the horrific indifference of mankind.

It's a sad, sad day when a human being can justify animal cruelty by calling it "art". How can anyone just sit there and let a living creature starve like that? -- that man or those people at the gallery who ignored this? The notion that these people and this man are the same species as I am is sickening.

why would you do such a stupid horrible cruel thing to a poor inoccent animal.

this dog could have had a pretty good life if this stupid guillermo vargas had not have pick this poor dog up off the streets and torcher this dog im sure that this dog would have preferd to die trying to live on the streets insted of suffering infront of a hole bunch of people.

And same on the people who went to the exibet to see this animal i cant even think of how heartless those people and mr.vargas can be i will not let this happen again this will stop now!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone who defends this horrible, abbusive, sycotic, murderous, ass hole of a man, who is not by the way, in any means an artist, is absolutly no better than him.

What this man is doing to those poor inocent animals is compleatly disgusting! It's not there fault that they're on the streets and anyone with an ounce of moral would NEVER do ANYTHING like that EVER!

In any other home this cruelty would be considerd animal abuse, and the accused would be arested, not praised for the artistery! This man is sick and he gets away with it because he calls it art. Artists are supposed to created life and beauty, not destroy it!!!

I think and know that this guy is the most sickest fucker alive and should die for his sins if i met him i would murder him with my own fucking hands (apologies for swearing to other readers)

i am an undying animal lover. animals are my weakness. i will always stop to feed or help any animal i have ever come across.

and i have to say, this man gets my applause IF he really did feed this animal. and before you start screaming your ignorant little heads off, i can tell you why.

regardless if this animal did die or not, (which would be terrible if it did end up dying, in which case the "artist" should be rightfully punished in some way or another because he let it happen) he got your attention. since i do not know the facts, all i can do is give him the benefit of the doubt. the fact that he got all of this attention for this animal and the unfortunate conditions for all the other stray dogs, deserves him some credit. not only did he get everyone fired up and angry, he proved the point that no one actually cares until it is made public in a shocking way.

we people as americans need to understand that third world countries are nothing like our country. they dont care about animals the way we do because we humanize them, whereas they see them as pests. the fact that the visitors of the gallery did absolutely nothing about this dog proves my point without further need for explanation.

YES its sad this animal was tied up for all to see BUT look at what its done? its created a wave of reactions that started a mini revolution for these stray animals who needed this attention in the first place.

The attention you FAILED to give them. what would have happened if he had not done this act? NOTHING. and isn't something better than nothing? for every action there is an equal or greater reaction and thats the thing people need to realize. you need to DO SOMETHING IN ORDER TO GET SOMEWHERE PRODUCTIVE.

YES its unfortunate. YES its cruel. YES its all of these terrible things but please... for the love of humanity... at least it created a reaction out of people enough to want to finally do something.

I wish i knew more about this topic and i have done research on more than a handful of websites out of curiosity. people need the hard facts tho before they let their emotions get the best of themselves.

people are people. just because one got the spotlight over something doesn't mean you aren't just as guilty as he is, regardless if you say he did it intentionally cruel or not, because when it comes down to it, youre the one who makes your own decisions to not do anything about the stray animals everywhere. at least he got your attention. stand up america, lets here that applause. because now these stray dogs are getting the spotlight they deserved in the first place.

Yes it is a cruel thing that he did. But the thing is he was able to get the message across.

Now let me ask another question.If you people do so care about a starving dog tied to wall how much more of a starving kid?

Do we have to wait for another Habacuc to come along and display a starving kid tied to a leash?You are all so touched by a dying dog and so outraged by it while people in the third world are dying?

Put your priorities straight people of the First World Nations. We people people in the Third World need more of your help than that sick and dying dog.You are in a better position to help us than ourselves.

Too all the people who are stating that all us 'commenters' have killed in some ways are complete idiots who do not see the point that we're trying 2 get across!..

We may eat meat, but that is natural. What isn't natural is tying up a starving dog for an exhibition.

Yes, we wear clothing which resembles animals BUT we do NOT exhibit the cruelty and i highly doubt, it could be as unhumane as the act this man commited.

If this man has not been hunted down and killed yet, then its a fucking shame

people like this don't deserve to live.

to the people that think that this is "art" i would love an explanation as to how this is art.

and to whoever thinks this is not cruel....what the hell is cruel then??

sick people.

I would really love to have the guy confirm the details exactly, but clearly he is just enjoying the attention and is unwilling to really speak out about the details for whichever reason.

Whether they be that he did use cruelty or that he had considerations. Its still cruel to capture the dog though and i am not saying having it during gallery hours is a good thing, it clearly isn't.

This is really stupid and cruel! How could anyone do that to a poor dog?!! And I can't believe all those people would go to see it! Thats just sick.

I wish someone would have done something about that at the time though... poor dog...

Okay guys, let's get real. Even IF the dog has been tied fed and watered, is it not cruel enough to have dog food written on the walls while the dog is clearly emaciated? Is it not abusive to tie up a [he himself claims,] SICK animal and let people stare at it all day? The fact that he signed the petition himself clearly shows that he feels that he was wrong to do this in the first place.

Although there is no evidence the dog died, there is also no evidence it was fed or released.

Art is one thing guys, abuse is another. He could've shown his message in a better way.

For everyone who loves this piece of art, instead of a dog lets starve you, tie you up and let people stare at you all day while we put mcdonalds on the wall. I'd like to see how long you guys last! PFF!

One of the most pathetic comments i have ever read : "Habacuc is the greatest artist in a generation".

I hope he ties you to a tree and does the exact same thing. When you are weak, cannot move and are dying of hunger and thirst, please update then if you still think he's the greatest artist!

you guys are stupid!!! this man is a great artist!! can't you see, he already proved his point!! this is not about a dog or animal cruelty, this is about how people are so tupid and naive that they are really what they read, that is his point! the reaction and the uproars of these people is the art! you really are what ytou read! if a designer said that he made clothes out of furs then people would just believe and stupid people would come up with these contreversies... how idoitic! poor dog...it's stupid people who can't read art!!!

One of the funniest comments I've ever read is on this page:

"Seriously this man is no different than Hitler with the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp for the Jews by allowing this dog to die of starvation."

Habacuc is the greatest artist in a generation.

1) does anyone have any evidence that the dog died as a result of the exhibit, or that it died at all?

2) Guillermo Vargas signed the petition himself (http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/cultura/56026.html).

It seems that the evidence suggests, and what a few others have perceived, that Vargas created the appearance of starvation in the animal world to focus a social message. The outrage that has resulted shows that he was correct.

It's stupid to condemn without facts. And it's stupid to ignore the potency of his message.

Yes, he shocked. But if you don't have any evidence that his exhibit was was actually abusive, then don't condemn it.

I take the artist and the gallery at their word; I have no reason not to. The dog was found in a starved condition; it was exhibited; during hours when the public was not at the gallery the dog was fed and given water; it escaped/was released after the exhibit.

First of all I would like to say how the heck could someone see this as art!!!!! This is not art this is pure a simple abuse adn as far as I'm concerned anyone that could do this to a dog for either their profit or to get noticed is very sick. Its too bad Mr.

Guillermo Vargas Habacuc arts sucks so bad that he has to resort to abusing animals. Mr. Guillermo Vargas Habacuc better hope I never see himm face to face because I would love to tie him up and let him starve for everyone to see.

In conclusion I must say that I'm very very disappointed that such a beautiful coutry could let something like this go on without proper punishment. I will never vacation in Costa Rica again.

I went to Costa Rica (where Vargas is from) this winter and was horrified by all of the starving dogs I saw.

I didn't know what to feed them (If you feed them too much they can become sick and too much fat or protein can also make them sick) and if I fed them near local businesses I was afraid they would come around more often and be abused by the owners.

I am going back in July and I actually found this site by doing some research on what exactly I could do these dogs. Your comments are doing nothing. Banning Vargas from showing in Costa Rica did nothing (he wasn't going to repeat the exhibit as there are animal protection laws in Costa Rica and are none in Nicaragua.) That dog would have died in the streets.

Everywhere I went there were dogs too exhausted to move. I'd walk by one and two hours later he would be lying in the exact same position on the street waiting to die.

What Vargas did backfired because people thought that for some reason one man was more responsible for the death of a dog than the hundreds that pass them by without doing anything before they die.

Stop blogging and do something. Donate here:
http://www.animalsheltercostarica.com/

What the hell. Dogs are living things, they deserve better. you people are fucking insane to do this to ANYTHING or ANYONE should go to hell.

There are people suffering all over the world, who gives a damn about a dog.

Well I for one completely agree with Bill.

For as long as abortion is legal we should be allowed to torture and kill any and all animals!

Hell we should be allowed to torture and kill anyone we please. Is that the idea Bill?

I'm sure he's associated with Limkokwing Univerisity. A terrible art school!

What's the problem?

We abort the unborn because they are an inconvenience and make up laws that protect those who do it as their right, and now a starving dog gets everybody in a snit?

Screw you people.

WHAT??? starving a dog opens eyes?? Thats stupid! The people who hurt these animals would probably not have visited the gallery and if they did they would have enjoyed it.

The people who went there, felt pittty for the animal wouldn't have done such a cruel deed anyway so it was totally unnecesary tying the dog to a rope in front of dog food which he couldn't reach!

Imagine you tied to a rope and not being able to reach your food until you stave! and it only makes it worse everyone looking at you and making pictures! It is horrible!

Please sign the patition agains that "artist"

Someone here wisely commentated about how this "artist" opened the eyes of people to cruelty towards animals and how in fact while starving this dog he actually saved many others.

If this is the case than I guess that no one would mind if as an attempt to raise awareness to the issue of kids being abused someone will tie a little kid with a chain to a wall in a gallery while a pedofile will molest him while people are walking by, or maybe just to raise awareness to domestic violence we'll get to see a husband beating up his wife with a hammer or stabbing her with a kitchen knife...

This will really open our eyes because there is no other way to raise peoples awareness in these issues.

Hello im 14 years old and in the 14 years that i have lived i have neve herd such a thing it makes me want to cry so bad.

This person was not doing this for art becasue this is not are its animal crulety. He can say the dog was going to die any ways but thats not true could have survived, anyone could have toke him if he didnt do this.

The dog would still be here if it werent fot him. What if the dog was him and he was the dog and the dog starved him yeah he wouldnt like it.

This is NOT ART and its not far to animals because they dont have a voice to stick p for him self and if the dog new he was going to do this he would have run of but sence he didnt no he couldnt do anything.

This dog thought that this guy WOULD feed him and water him and have a loving home but no the guy had to be mean and starve him some more and its just as much his fault as the people that justwalked by and took oitures and went along with it with out doing anything, they should be ashamed of them selfs... Jocelynn, From maime

p.s R.I.P Nativity (the dogs name) u deserved a better life..

"Accounts of Vargas's animal abuse vary, however; one gallery director says that the dog was fed regularly and only confined to the chain for a few hours"

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe in animal cruelty, but these sort of petitions and groups that seem to be popular on the internet are usually unresearched by most and usually followed by people who only care to feign interest.

Why not petition against the people who took the pictures or who walked by every time and did nothing....are they not cruel too?

I am sure almost all of us has scared off a stray we saw digging through our garbage, should we not be petitioned against for denying the dog's right to eat? What so special about this one that warrants a petition and to publicly condemn the man?

The artists is raising awareness though the use of the media. He created an ILLUSION that the dog was being starved because he knows this is the only way it will get through to people.

If he hadn't done something so drastic would u be sitting there even thinking about the thousands of stray dogs?

This is what I wrote in this demented man's blog:
>>>>
Hello! Well, what’s to say...

Today, you are a clear proof of how little it takes (or entails) for us to self-claim a title of artists, yes?

I have a profound respect and admiration for the arts, specially when they are supposed to express the human nature and all its idiosyncrasies. However, I must tell you I cannot possibly say you are part of such noble intent.

If dogs are dying waterfalls in your country, what a great and intelligent way of intervening in their favour, right? You are at least plain ignorant, or maybe too much naive (I guess not) to believe and imagine that as any noble – never mind artistic – in manipulating other people’s rage, evoking their worst instincts and emotions, seeking whatever twisted thing you aim or target.

Had you painted, photographed, even used decomposing flesh, whatever...

I will presume now that, if you’re that arrogant to call yourself an artist, you may by any chance be able to speak another language, or perhaps contemplate anything beyond your own (sad, very sad) reality.

I am not a christian myself, nor a muslim and you most certainly never heard of other religions. That is not the point. My point is, you must know it (or seek knowledge) a bit more, before you get on proclaiming yourself upon this or that matter. That was dumb, reaaaaaaaaal dumb...

But you’ve got a very much curious last name, taking into consideration the position you have chosen for yourself to exist as a human being. Habacuc...

"Habakkuk is unique among the prophets in that he openly questions the wisdom of God. In the first part of the first chapter, the Prophet sees the injustice among his people and asks why God does not take action: "1:2 Yahweh, how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I cry out to you 'Violence!' and will you not save?" - (World English Bible)."

Caught me grip, stud?

I wish you tried to pull that stunt in a country where you could have your head popped off your body and then "exposed" for others to see it.

Ironically, it wouldn't be nothing shorter of a very interesting conundrum, for that you would be paid back (or withdrawn, if you like...) from something you didn't quite have the right to do so in the first place, and would actually lost it completely, but in due retribution.

Thank you for being such a great reminder for us all that we're still a long - fookin' bleedin' - long way from seeing our experiential days past our own evolvement.

I not only sign the following petition against you, but I shall also cautiously memorise your name. You don’t really want to come across me. Neither to talk art nor about pretty much anything...

On a personal note: be a man, do something intelligent, and stop hiding behind shades of plan idiotic perversity and a cynical - so cynical - framed-up sense of art.

Bloke, have you got a lot to learn...

Honestly, if he actually was trying to spread the word about animal abuse, he did it by doing it himself. There are many other ways he could've done it, either painting, sculpting, you name it.

"Life hurts (a lot)", you're response made me laugh. Honestly, you sound like this "artist" yourself. As I stated above, there are many other ways to portray these events. All he did was make another animal die of the same stupidity other abusers have done. I honestly would've never thought that there'd be people who'd agree with this, this is just pathetic.

I, being some one who's been rescuing dogs for a while now, am sickened quite deeply. Even if he wasn't in it for the money, he just screwed hiself big time, especially with all of the real animal lovers out there who are smart enough to know this was a stupid act.

I don't think I can call any of the people who agree with his actions human.

In my opinion, we should tie him up to a gallery and sit there and take pictures of him, while he's doing nothing but coughing for air and starving. I'd definately be there.

Aaaargh.. What can I say to the "Life hurts (a lot)"? Ask would he accept to sacrifice an innocent human in the name of art to open eyes about Wars or hunger?

(No. He could always ask if I eat meat and if then these two things are comparable: do I eat meat of humans. (..and if dogs=animals))

Yes, there are many reasonable arguments for and against this subject and it´s true that there are many worse things going on in this sick world than this poor "jesus" dog.

But what makes the difference is awarness of the action. How is it possible that here is many brainy and healthy people making excuses to justify a TORTURE. Is there any questions about their cruelty?

My conclusion is that these intelligent people has to lack of emotions.

14 05 2008 - Life hurts (a lot):
Are some of you guys stupid or just lazy?

Do your homework, read the previous opinions and think for a second before posting your naive comments about the cruelty of mankind or inhumanity of a single artist.

95% of you guys eat meat every day and wear leather shoes. What good have you really done to any animals lately?

This incident (true or not) have opened thousands of eyes and maybe saved as many animals from certain death.

too bad these protesters can't put all this energy into saving the hundreds of dogs out in the street behind the gallery. .... sure get all mad call him a monster then step over all the starving abandoned dogs on your way home...

For evil to prevail good men need do nothing

Question? Are you good or evil - or just an indifferent waste of space with an excuse for everything?

Whats next - starving children

For all the people that have used the word "hypocrite", this is for you. I have 3 dogs, and have rehomed many more in my 42 years lifetime.

I'm a volunteer for the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals as well as having a full-time job - I care passionately about animals although I'm not a vegetarian but I won't buy eggs from hens that are caged and only meat that have the RSPCA "Freedom Food" sticker on so I have certain standards.

Animals are there to be cared for by us - we are the ones that are trashing the planet and constantly thinking about money.

What gives him the right to take this dog's life? Animals are sentient beings and what this man did was pure evil and everyone who stood and watched and the exhibitors who allowed it to happen.

So remember what goes around, comes around Mr Vargas.

What a load of old tosh!!!!!

I think that its relatively hard to feel outrage when we do not know any details for certain. Wadda we have

1 there was a dog
2 It was kinda raggedy
3 it was tied up for an undetermined period
4 It may or may not have been fed
5 Possibly it died
6 Possibly it got away

Hardly conclusive.

I declare shenanigans on this whole discussion its just plain dumb. If everyone is going to get grumpy about fido move to south america and feed the little scrounging bastards!!!!!!

I really don't know whether this is a hoax or not, but anyway, all you f**kheads who defend the 'artistic' performance and call the criticizers hypocrites.

How is tying a dog to a museum and left to starve to death comparable to a stray dog that roams freely on the streets? You stupid assholes, at least on the streets a dog would have a chance to find something to eat.

Are some of you guys stupid or just lazy?

Do your homework, read the previous opinions and think for a second before posting your naive comments about the cruelty of mankind or inhumanity of a single artist.

95% of you guys eat meat every day and wear leather shoes. What good have you really done to any animals lately?

This incident (true or not) have opened thousands of eyes and maybe saved as many animals from certain death.

THIS STORY IS NOT TRUE! It is an internet hoax.

Maybe this comment will be condemned as naive and rather stupid, but I honestly would have untied that dog right there and taken it with me, and punched the be jesus out of any poor sod who tried to get in the way.

isn't that a natural reaction though?

I just dont understand people that went to gallery and watched so called "art". There is nothing artistic in watching poor dog starve to death. Hope this man will never have such show anywhere anytime. Greetings from Croatia

OMG ... people need to do more homework on the subject before they condemn this man. Every SINGLE ONE OF YOU is a killer or similar animals.

When you pass a stray on the street and do NOTHING then you are just as guilty as anyone.

The dog didn't die though .. why? Because HE did something .. at least for a short time .. and HE made you all pay attention .. for a change. And for those IDIOTS comparing him to HITLER ... grrr ... I hate to think you are comparing my family ancestors to dogs ....

This act is disgusting and if this is art, i don´t no what is an art exposition and what is your bedding. This artist would have be severely punished about your action!!!!!

Alicia, were you actually there at the gallery, did you see anyone feed the dog, and did you see the dog on untied himself and run away... for someone who only did their research from wikipedia and igroned all the pics and videos posted out there, you don't have the rights to call anyone a hypocrite but youself.

He fed the animal and showed the dog in the gallery for 3 hours to highlight the plight of these street dogs. No one pays attention to the dogs in the streets and now suddenly everyone is talking about it.

What hypocrits. Do you do anything when you see such a dog on the street? He fed it gave it water, showed it in the gallery for 3 hours then it ran away. Do your research people. Check wikipedia at least!

To think that in this day and age of civilization and humanity, someone can actually consider starving another living thing to consider it ART!

It's disgusting and shameful on the Costa Rican population for endorsing and allowing this to happen in a public place for all to see...

Wow that is just disgusting. I personally could not have attended that art opening without trying to help set that animal free. I can't believe all those people in the background sipping wine and such while that poor animal is laying there dying. Just blows my mind. I would have been put in jail for trying to free that animal.

I am horribly disturbed by this. I believe this story to be true from the photographs that I have seen.

Evidence the fact that this dog is tied in a gallery space with no place to go, not food or water. And no place to go to the bathroom. The dog looks like it is dying to me.

Please sign the petition. I have also devoted space for you on my personal blog. Please visit me at www.icatharsis.com

Let's remeber that we don't really know what's happened here. Until we do, let's give the artist the benefit of the doubt.

For all those kind and compassionate "animal lovers" out there who proposed swapping a human being for the dog, maybe you should look up the word "hypocrite" in the dictionary.

no, it's not the fact that he is in an exibition it's the fact that he is tied and he can do nothing to save himself.

and he says that the dog would eventually die. But what? Don't we all going to die? Lets kill people because in 50 years they ll be dead so whats the diffrence from dying now or then?? Oh but the dog was ill?? Oh lets starve to death a person with cancer because anyway in a month or two theyll be dead so at least they serve an "artistic" purpose. Of course if that person is someone i like i would reconsider my acts.

Guillermo Habacuc Vargas is a terrible human being who tries to justify his actions for killing an innocent dog as "art".

Seriously this man is no different than Hitler with the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp for the Jews by allowing this dog to die of starvation.

I never have met this man but if I did I would like to give him a piece of his own medicine by letting him starve for a few days and feel the pain that this dog felt.

Dogs have feelings just as humans do. Please stop this man if you have any feelings of sympathy for this poor dog who died of starvation while people just walked by and starred like idiots.

What I don't understand...is with all the people who visited this "exhibit" how come NO ONE saved the dog before it died?

The artist is a heartless cruel SOB...but so are the visitors who looked away and went home to their daily lives without giving the dog a second glance...how sad for that poor animal. He deserved so much better.

Guillermo Vargas should punched but and the people who going in this gallery i think had serious problems dangerous.

Me too i want be artist i think my first artistic picture should be fingers of Guillermo Vargas.....

is it art Guillermo Vargas??
if is it yours why not mine ;)))))

This is an outrageous display of cruelty. The shame of it is that this poor dog would have most likely become Vargas' best friend had he had he been human enough to care for it and nurse it back to health instead of starving the poor animal and putting it on display while it suffered. The same should be done to him. He is not fit to be allowed in the human race!

If I ever thought I was disgusted before this takes it. The Artist and everyone who watched should be tied to a tree and left to starve. I really mean this.

I own and operate an animal rescue. Just because the dog would have died on the streets is not the point. The point is, he took the dog in, he had a responsibility to care and provide for that dog from then on. The fact that he allowed that poor dog to die and that all the spectators did nothing is a crime. They should all be punished.

ANYONE WHO IS WONDERING IF THIS IS TRUE, I CAN ASSURE YOU AS AN ARTIST MYSELF, IT IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE!! IF YOU EMAIL ME I CAN SEND YOU PHOTOGRAPHS & FOOTAGE OF EVERYTHING THIS POOR SWEET CREATURE SUFFERED BEFORE IT DIED, WITH OUT COMPLAINT IT ACCEPTED AT THE END ITS FATE & AFTER ESCAPING ONCE, ITS WIRE HARNESS WAS CONECTED TO A LIVE ELECTRICAL SOCKET, TO PREVENT IT CHEWING THROUGH & ESCAPING, IN THE PICTURES YOU WILL SEE OTHER ARTISTS, DIGNATORIES & VISITORS, EATING, DRINKING, SMOKING & LAUGHING, THEY ARE SICK INHUMANE BASTARDS, AS IS THE ARTIST WHO MADE A FORTUNE FROM THIS SICK, SO CALLED *WORK OF ART* NYONE WISHING TO ATTEND & PROTEST & THIS YEARS EXHIBITION, PLEASE CONTACT * Kit-Cat Pet rehoming & Sanctuary * ON THE ABOVE EMAIL

It's amazing how many comment's state what harm they would do to the artist, without validating the actual event of the exhibition from start to finish. Look yourself in the mirror and see the monster you are. You are no better than the people at the exhibit who are supposedly doing nothing to assist the dog. In fact, you are tremendously worse.

Use common sense people and realize the genius that was his exhibit. Dog food and a "starving dog" used to create controversy and open minds.

"You are what you read"

Written in dog food. Because it proves that food was available, but you (readers) don't want to believe that. You only want to believe what you read is an act of great cruelty.

A supposedly starving dog. Genius. The message is even more enhanced with his use of visuals. You (again the readers) see with blind eyes the lie, but not the truth within the lie.

Ignorance is the most populated education taught in todays society. Only few will realize the truth and learn to react when reacting is truly necessary.

If any of you saw this dog out on the street none would help him. The artist was attempting to explain that the world does not care about anything but themselves. The dog would have had the same life out on the street but since a man did it for fame it is now "shameful". I highly doubt any of you would take in a stray animal... atleast he did.

What extremes are people going to go to next especially this inhuman artist in the 'name of art'. That dog was a living creature who hurts the same way we do. The last memory that dog has is a bunch of sick b&%$ds standing around him while he starves to death. Those people should be ashamed of themselves.

Rest assured vargas, if you ever set foot in Oz you would be hunted down and treated to a similar fate. I believe alot of people would gladly pay for this pleasure and all proceeds raised would go to a worthy animal cruelty fund.

Their are stray animals everywhere in the world. Yes, in some places this is an issue, in others not so much. Overall, the majority of these stray animals will die on their own. Once again, on their own.

I have seen some artists in my life so far that do express their art through their crazy and absurd ways. In regards to the horrible life they had lived, the wrong paths they chose, all the suffering they have been through.

I believe this is, in fact, necessary for them. Do you really believe this the way to express it?? I just can't agree ;)

On that note, I would like to close with the following perspective A Vedanta perspective

There are five reasons that human biengs suffer......

Not knowing the true nature of reality.

Holding on to that which is insubstantial, therefore not real.

Fear from/ fear of that which is insubstantial, not real.

Identification with a false and constricted habitual self, which we call the ego.

Fear of death

All other causes of suffering are somehow or another related to the five. In fact, all of the five reasons are contained in the first. Therefore, the reason we suffer is not knowing the true nature of reality.

Is there any conclusive evidence as to what the circumstances actually were? Everything I've read on this story so far seems to be hearsay and conjecture, I've found nothing from anyone who attended the exhibition.

There are so many hopelessly ignorant & naive comments here. You can't believe this and you can't believe respectable institutions would do that, and blah, blah, blah. Are you 5 years old? Do the good guys always win? The dog DID die--THAT's how it escaped! The dogfood was out of reach of the dog. Why didn't anyone feed it? BECAUSE THEY WERE STUPID ASSHOLES TRYING TO BE "COOL". The "artist" posted comments, then deleted them. After terrorizing and running Natividad down in the street, why not put a swift, merciful end to a misery-ridden life? Oh nooo! Let's watch the thing starve with food just out of reach. If you need that to make you think about how most people only give a damn about themselves, then you are one of THEM.

I was at an art opening a few years ago where the stupid twit had goldfish suffocating in tubes to show how her Middle Eastern brethren were oppressed. I only bring up the ethnic issue, because she missed a big point--she was not in her home country, not showing in a place where smaller living creatures were considered to be without feeling or the right to live. She really did not get that what she was doing was awful.

So how was she proving HER point? In which ass did the gallery have its head up? Who knows! At the opening, though, most just watched the fish die as they swilled their wine and babbled about nothing. I called the SPCA and they made them remove the surviving animals. Stupid Twit replaced them with fish-shaped orange foil.

This Vargas "artist" and the Honduran freakshow are doing some serious purging, backtracking and rationalization now. The petition will top 1 million tonight.

One of the judges is/was head of Latin American Art at Christie's here in NYC. So they will not back out now & have assured everybody that no animals will be hurt. Ooooh, yeah!

A word about dogs and cats that have starved for a long time--feeding them regular food for a couple of days will not alone save them. Usually, the dehydration is so severe that fluids must be injected. A week without proper fluids can be lethal. There are so many other complications--perhaps Natividad did not stand a chance to survive. There could have been other illnesses present. The right thing would have been to put her out of her misery, not prolong it and put it on display for other idiots.

Oh yes, I live in New York and no, the rats do not eat the dogs--more ignorance, indeed. We have very, very strict leash laws here and stray dogs get picked by animal control immediately. If nobody claims them within about a week or 2, unfortunately, they are euthanized by injection. We still don't have no-kill because there are too many to house.

Same for the zillion cats they pickup. There are still plenty of alley cats, because cats don't need licenses. We do try to rescue to "safe" homes for dogs and cats that are obviously abandoned pets, trap/ spay/neuter/release for cats that are obviously feral. Many times, people feed them just as they do in the country. The ones in my neighborhood look like healthy farm cats and do not have babies anymore.

It's no more dirty here than most other places--not that we need any more stupid tourists roaming the streets and saying even more stupid things when they get home. Please stay away and go elsewhere!

Yes the bigger picture. Yes what Vargas did is unspeakable but lets not forget the country in which it took place in and where. Managua, Nicaragua museum. This place and it's operator's should be held accountable as well as the "artiest" for such a cruel act. And like it or not money talks and if as a whole we boycott this place and it's museums believe me you they will listen and I hope NEVER allow this to happen again.

I see no other reason, then "Habacuc" is insane person, or he just wanted others to talk about him. Others are definitely talking about him. Many many years will others talk about him like about cruel, barbarous & totally idiotic imbecile. Well done Mr.Habacuc, now your are world-famous imbecile!

This is disgusting and my heart is breaking - hoax or not! This needs to stop and the 'artist' needs to be replaced with the dog and we should watch him starve to death instead! I cant believe anyone would be so cruel and cold, and this is absolutely disturbing and immortal!!! Please, let's do something to put an end to this right now!!!

Hey you - so called "artist" - why don't you get a real job and do what artists actually do, instead of finding innocent animals as your prey to find fame & fortune!! You're pathetic looser and you need to get your head checked, because you are not normal you freak!!!!

Now I'm not sure if this is a hoax or not. I suggest we don't boycott the exhibition, and we all take some hidden food and water with us when we go. If the point is "people just walk by" then we shouldn't. Feed the dog!

Maybe he should replace himself with the dog in his next exhibition at least then people would have a positive response to his "art"

This initially shocked me until on further thought I realized the artist is in fact reflecting what is the general attitude of the society he lives in towards animals.
v This incredibly insensitive act of 'art' was not only accepted in
vthe art gallery, the viewers and the government but also won a prize. While I am very upset by this act of the artist I feel the main target here of controversy is the country that allows this act.

Because yes, be sure there is neglect and cruelty every where there.
vThis is not to place blame or attack them. They (the government, the society at large), need help to become aware, because only a lack of awareness could allow such happenings to occur.

I pray and ask that light and love may go out to this country and all the countries where similar attitudes are held towards animals. To all animals everywhere.

The news story reports that this art event occured, yet others report that the event may not be verified. This may not be an issue of if the art exhibit actually took place. Perhaps the real issue is that companion animals suffer every day and do die. Whether or not the exhibit was shown, people walked by and didn't do anything—animal cruelty does take place, all over the world. To educate people on how to be responsible pet owners is our only hope.

IF the picture of this suffering dog is painful to anyone, they can excercise their right to voice their concern by signing the petition.

After that, share your thoughts about responsible pet ownership with a friend, a child, anyone that is willing to listen. Be a Pet Mentor to someone.

Commitment, Responsibility and Love are the cornerstones of pet ownership and a lifetime of love with our animal companions whether they are feathered furry or finned.
v Visit us on the world wide web at: the Responsible Pet Owner.com to learn how we are dedicated to helping parents and their children understand that pet ownership is a lifelong commitment to care for and love an animal.

I would love to spend 10 minutes alone with this piece of shit, what do you epect from a heartless morron, I hope are paths meet one day!

I'd like to say that people are getting sidetracked by some ignorant statements made by "USA > you" and missing the overall point.

First of all I don't know anyone who would actually create a nickname claiming the US as elitist; I think most, if not all of us realize we've had quite a few embarrassments in the past 7+ years and are not well viewed internationally so the last thing we would do is create such a nickname or express such an attitude.

Even if "USA > you" is actually an American as claimed (which I strongly doubt) I'd like to point out that many Americans do not feel that racist trash like him or President Bush are our true representation. And we hope the international community can see that.

My other point is that we are on a tangent. The point is whether we are to condone or petition this sort of action. Whether it truly happened or is a farce I think we all agree it is immoral and therefore signing a petition would serve no harm.

Thank you.

The last comment displayed is truly valuable and worthy of respect. I agree in that I do not know the veracity of the project, yet what has been quite evident is that most comments come from anger and not remorse, this is where we are wrong. It is not time to be angry and insult whomever, however.

- I JUST saw a video on you tube that mixed the US President´s address with pictures of US soldiers in Iraq not only mistreating and disrespecting the Iraqi people but also holding a small puppy and throwing it up and out about 20 feet I don´t think he made the fall, and I am quite confident about the veracity of this video - I am not here to judge, but rather to attempt illustrating that it has been an act of blind faith in the human race to create such a "hoax" or real performance.

It needs to be appreciated for its value in terms of what it communicates about the world today. Art is not only about making the world a more beautiful place, it is also about illustrating realities that at times we are not able to see. I feel the reality we were unaware of at this time is not about how we treat a starving dog. For he is a small victim compared to what we are doing to each other and the planet as a whole. How many times have you expressed more than anger to a stranger?

Or treated someone as less valuable simply for the color of their skin or the language they speak or just because you do not identify with this person? It is simple, we are all equal, we are creatures of this world, and we need to start treating each other as such. We are ALL in true need of love and acceptance. Love yourself a bit more and love will start emerging from everywhere.

If we want to make a change we should start from there. "I love and accept myself" say it, say it a million times, in your mind and from your heart and the world around you will reciprocate. I am not talking about egotistic or selfish love but rather, simple acceptance of who and how you are. Think about it, if you do not love yourself no one will love you as you truly deserve to be loved. And in this world, it all grows from there.

I love you, and have faith in your beauty and goodness.. please share and nourish it, for yourself and others. sb

This is one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen. Someone should stake Senior Vargas out and let him starve.

This artist and anyone who viewed the "exhibit" should be ashamed. There is nothing artistic about it.

I'm appalled that any decent human would allow such to happen and let it be called art. This world has turned into an evil cruel place that I no longer like. Animals are innocent and ask for nothing but love. This so called artist should be starved to death and I hope and pray that no one steps up for the low life. There will be a special place in hell for this evil person.

When I first heard the story/saw the pictures I instantly was overcome with horror and disgust. I googled the artist and ended up right here, where I have spent the past hour or two reading the comments that have been left here. I got to a comment left by "Jim." In his comment there's a link to a video on the subject.

The points out that there is no proof that this animal was starved to death in this gallery. Even the Humane Society of America reports on their website that the dog was there for 1 day and there was food present.

In fact the phrase "You are what you read" was spelled out with what? Anyone? Yeah, that's right DOG FOOD. I'll say it again, DOG FOOD!!! I don't know maybe it's just me, but with that being said can you honestly say that there was no food?

I personally have owned dogs in my life, as well as known others who have as well. I know from experience the lengths that a WELL FED dog will go to to get to the people food their owners believed to be out of reach from their pets. Dogs sense of smell is incredible. There is no doubt in my mind that this animal could smell the food on the wall in the gallery, and looking at the very few images of the "exhibit" I find it hard to believe that the dog was there for days in a room where he could smell food yet there was not a scratch on the wall from attempts to free himself.

Did this really happen? If so where is the proof? All I really see is a bunch of blogs, and the facts seem to change from blog to blog to the point that I do not view any of them as a credible source of information.

It seems to me to be a brilliantly planned hoax, one that I fell for for a short period of time. I too jumped the gun and signed the petition without first looking into its validity.

The phrase "You are what you read" should have been the first clue that this was a hoax. People are too quick to jump on the bandwagon, create a scapegoat, and form an angry mob. I am guilty as well, like.

I said I signed the petition too. The more I use my brain and think about it, and review the evidence, or rather lack of, I start to see what is possibly one brilliant hoax. We haven't had one of those for a good while.

If 'Habcuc" really did starve this animal to death then yes, that is absolutely horrible, but I have to remain sceptical that this indeed happened until there is credible evidence proving that it really did.

It looks to me that in the end the point that the artist is really trying to make is that people so often ignorantly believe everything they read, and act upon it as if it were true.

I feel that the curator(s) of the biennial would not condone the sort of animal cruelty and are in on the hoax. Think about it, would such a prestigious event really want to tarnish their reputation in this manner? I personally don't think so. I think they are waiting to say gotcha haha, while also raising awareness that there are so many homeless, sick dying animals on the streets that do need our help.

To this I say brilliant, only a true artist could be so creative. Even if this is not a hoax (which I hope it is) we could all learn a lesson from this about ignorance, and I would like to address one poster in particular. USA > you are you dumb and racist? umm yeah.

First off, I have been to New York City. It is a filthy place, where there is probably not a problem with stray dogs because the rats eat them all. Second of all the gallery where this took place was in Nicaragua, try reading next time. It takes a special kind of ignorance to turn an act of animal cruelty by a small group of people into an excuse to make racist remarks towards an entire country, the wrong one at that.

This arrogant mentality is why most of the rest of the world hates our country. How can you make such rude combative comments, and sign off using the word peace?

Eventhough I don't think this was the best or ethical way to show his point, I understand Vargas' message. First of all, central america is a poor region. Resources are so scarce that there are children working on the streets to help support their families and without the opportunity to get an education.

Seen starving animals died in the streets is something ussual, not because people is cruel over there, but becuase the majority of the people don't have enough resources.

The major powers of the world know there is people and animals starving in other nations, but no one cares. It's until these news get into media, that everyone start putting an eye on them and talk about ethics. But when the media stops reporting everyone forgets while people and animals continue starving.

this took place in Nicaragua where humman right are violated everyday where the president of that country i a murderer omongs other horrific things where you not only see a starving stray dogs all over but starving children walking the streets and none does nothing they just walk by just like at this horrible art show wake up people start taking action human and animal right are no to be violated anywhere please speek up stop turnig the other cheek Nicaraguenses have done that for to long its time to take a stand!!!

No one has the right to lock up another living creature, if it was going to die in a natural way, so be it..that also does not stop you as a person making a desicision to help another being, i have helped a number of sick animals, sick people and know that even if they are on their deathbed, a little love and caring helps their passing and on occassion it can bring them back and they survive. Ok so the artist made a point, but he did torment it with food within its reach and had it locked up and it is simply abuse and he should now be punished for it.

I myself am an artist and know that art is something from within, there is no reason he could not have expressed his opinions in a way that doesnt involve unwilling members. If i found the artist and decided i wanted to make a point and locked him up to starve would that be ok with all you who say it was right? that animal feels pain and emotion just as every one of us.

I truely hope he and anyone else who imposes themselves on other beings will be shuned and made an example of what we as human beings are NOT about. I for one will not ever be seeing the Central American Biennial exhibitions, i feel it is an absolute disgrace.

I GIVE MONEY TO POOR PEOPLE AND I FEED THE STARVING STRAYS I SEE IN EVERY COUNTRY I HAVE BEEN TOO THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE THINK I AM MENTAL BUT I DONT CARE COZ I AM HELPIN THEM ANIMALS IT DONT COST ALOT TO FEED A DOG AND IT DONT HURT TO HELP ANYONE NOONE OR NO ANIMAL SHOULD BE SUFFERING IN THIS WORLD IF THE RICH WOULD JUST STOP WORRYING ABOUT THEIR DESIGNER CLOTHES AND POSH DINNERS THEN WE WOULDNT HAV TO WORRY ABOUT SUFFERING, IF THE GOVERNMENTS WASNT SO DARN CORRUPT WE WOULD ALL BE OK IT DONT COST A THING TO GIVE ANYTHING WHY CANT EVERYONE STOP FOR ONE MINUTE AND SEE THAT IF EVERYONE HELPED THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR SUFFERING ANY WHERE!!!! LOOK INSIDE YOUR HEARTS AND DO RIGHT FOR ONCE... I AM DISGUSTED BY HUMANS TODAY NONE OF YOU DESERVE LIFE WHY YOU WASNT GIVEN IT I DONT KNOW... SERIOUSLY CHANGE YOUR WAYS OR THE WORLD IS GOING TO END IN ONE BITTER SAD ENDING....

to dmppdks:

You have written hundreds of hundreds of words, in which you repeatedly call people who care about this dog stupid.
I say YOU are the stupid one - you've written so much, yet you've only made a couple of points which you have repeated over and over. You say those of us upset by this should get a life rather than sitting in front of our comps...what about you, haven't you got anything better to do than write huge essays that repeat a few points over and over?

Would you think this was acceptable if a dying child had been tied up on display? No, didn't think so, and it shouldn't be any different for a dog.

What a bunch of hypocrates.

The people shouting the loudest are doing NOTHING about the real problem. Stray dogs, human starvation. You crucify the messenger. Instead of looking truthfully at the problem.

You probably live in a nice house with more then enough food, do not give money to beggars let alone a stray dog. They are left to struggle for life for the duration of their life and then they die.

Hypocrates, up to the very last one of you (including me). Look at yourself before you go to bed tonight, think about all the stray dogs, dying children in Africa and ask yourself if you are doing anything to help their lot??? 99% of you would be ashamed of yourself, now you take it out on this man. Shame on you!!!

A post from a friend-did not compose the following letter. I believe it was composed by a British artist. I am reposting it and encourage you to examine it and do something about it. Read on, as more information follows the letter.

EXHIBITION IS TAKING PLACE AT:

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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


SAMPLE LETTER TO SEND THE GALLERY:

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 worldwide, 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 criminally insane sadist and enjoys inflicting prolonged suffering upon his innocent victims. He is a danger to all of society, as it is well-documented that 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 defies logical, rational thought.

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 have brought many negative assumptions as to the humanity of the people of Costa Rica. The fact that many witnesses of this animal’s suffering did nothing, and that the organizers of this event allowed this to happen, rather than taking action to see that Guillermo Vargas be criminally charged with animal abuse, is sending the world a message that Costa Rica is 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 guilty of causing its unnecessary death. To let this crime go unpunished, and instead to reward Guillermo Vargas by choosing him to represent Costa Rica in Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008 is unacceptable and shameful, not only to Costa Rica but to all participants in this event.

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 the law for this animal’s death, and should not be allowed to represent Costa Rica as an artist, for to refer to him as such is an insult to all true artists.

Sincerely,

Your Name

ANOTHER GALLERY SHOWING HIS WORK:
This is the email address to a gallery which currently holds some of Vargas' work for display and sale. If anyone would like to ask the gallery to drop him from their list of artists the email address is below.

Email address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

INFORMATION ABOUT EXHIBIT
What he says on his blog (translated):

I knew the dog died on the following day from lack of food. During the inauguration, I knew that the dog was persecuted in the evening between the houses of aluminum and cardboard in a district of Managua. 5 children who helped to capture the dog received 10 bonds of córdobas for their assistance. During the exhibition some people requested the freedom of the small dog, which the artist refused. The name of the dog was Natividad, and I let him die of hunger in the sight of everyone, as if the death of a poor dog was a shameless media show in which nobody does anything but to applaud or to watch disturbed. In the place that the dog was exposed remain a metal cable and a cord. The dog was extremely ill and did not want to eat, so in natural surroundings it would have died anyway; thus they are all poor dogs: sooner or later they die or are killed.

VIEW AND SIGN THIS PETITION:
http://www.petitiononline.com/13031953/petition.html

HERE IS HIS MYSPACE PAGE (Guillermo Habacuc Vargas):
http://www.myspace.com/casitadetentaciones

Paragraph 2, Sentence 2: Keep this sentence in mind...

Paragraph 7: It has not been possible to confirm this? So you haven't been able to confirm if the dog didn't die and was fed? It was worthy to note that that wasn't confirmable... Now, had paragraph 2 been confirmed, then the allegations in Paragraph 7 would be turned from "not confirmed" to "that's a lie". Henceforth, the allegations of the dog starving to death are not confirmed either. But it's not important to note that, is it?

There are no source citations... just enough to pull other alleged bits off of other news websites without source citations and a link to a petition.

Here's a great idea, folks, how about instead of just believing an incredible allegation like starving a dog as art... why not actually pay attention and try to do your own research. This is why people are so fucking stupid today...

To the Organizers of Biennale,

I implore you to look at the so-called logic of your artist Guillermo Habacuc Vargas, who says that his art work shows how “In my home city of San Jose, Costa Rica, tens of thousands of stray dogs starve and die of illness each year in the streets and no one pays them a second thought.”

If that dog had been in the streets, at least it would have had a chance of finding food somehow. This way, it had no chance of surviving at all. Art cannot be at the expense of life; whatever the message.

Then he could in the same vein say that there are too many homeless children in the streets and to show how there is apathy for them, let’s tie one up and let him die.

It a stupid idea and its not art.

If people in the streets do nothing in the streets, they will also do nothing in the museum. All is does is show that the country is full of socially unconscious people.
Plus he keeps changing his statement from one reason to another as the reason for this abuse.

You cannot allow a dog to die on purpose to make your statement heard. Its just dumb.
v Do not allow him to continue with this sort of abuse to showcase ‘art’ for the sake of an ideal. Its NOT ART.
Even as a protest, people don’t hurt others for the benefit of their cause!!!

He has no argument, no basis for logic, nothing can defend what he did. So please do not allow this abuse to continue. Please do not invite him back to your art festival.

If you were to invite him back, you only sully the name of art. You damage the name of your festival and the name of art itself.

Thank you for your consideration.

Vernetta Lopez Singapore

And just how is this considered "ART"?

art:
1. the products of human creativity
2. the creation of beautiful or significant things (http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=art)

For everyone who says this is not art, I strongly urge you to take a closer look at the definition.

Despite the abstract nature of his piece, his message is crystal clear. We should not concern ourselves so much with his singular act of cruelty but rather focus all this attention on the real issue: starving animals. If we stop him, does the problem not persist? His controversy has got people talking. There's buzz about starving dogs, but the real problem is on the streets, not in art galleries. By stopping him, we will have ultimately done nothing.

To the petition supporters and writers, why not take your actions a step further? You seem quite involved in the process already so further your cause by petitioning all of animal starvation on a global scale. If not for Vargas, would you still sign/write a petition such as this?

I own three dogs myself and take pride in their health and well being. I do not support animal cruelty (and for that matter human cruelty), but I do support Vargas’ message.

THERE ARE WORSE THINGS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD I KNOW THAT. BUT INNOCENT ANIMALS CANNOT SPEAK UP FOR THEMSELVES. AND NO MATTER WHY OR THE OUTCOME, THIS IS BARBARIC AND HE IS A THOUGHTLESS MONSTER. MAY HE MEET HIS MAKER ONE DAY SOON.

Not true, do some research.

If the dog was going to die on the streets anyway fine thats the natural order of things, so let it happen as nature intended it, ON THE STREETS. Don't bring the poor creature in, tie it up and make its agony some sick pleasure for you and all of you're heartless followers.

This isn't art, its not exibitionism, It's cruelty. You're trying to portray agony and death and argue that oh it would have happened anyway. Fine, there are starving children in 3rd world countries who are going to die anyway, would you tie them up and watch them die for "art"? Or did I just give away his next project?

The animal feels the same pain a human does but because it cannot verbalize it it's feelings are deemed less important.....

I'm really so sad and disappointed to hear that artist doing such cruel thing. Please please please stop that!!!!

Here are some points to ponder:
Did anyone try to protest while this dog was on display?
Who cleaned up after this dog during its time on the floor?
Why wasn't it barking and going nuts in this exhibit?
Why was this dog on the streets to begin with?

In my opinion, if we jump all over this artist for "torture" and such, we must first blame everyone who witnessed this act and could have stepped up for the dog.

I am truly ashamed of this man, an artist who starved a dog to death as art is a disgrace to the artist community. Art is to express life, to bring joy and hope to the people.

Not to promote death and agony. This world has lost it's true sense of life and living, it is killing the earth and the people living on it and the animals as well for the sake of pleasure, fame, fortune and power.

I love humanity but i hate the people living in it. A living animal is to be respected for they have a role to play in our world to bring balance to the laws of nature which governs this earth.

We as humans are not above the law, for this man Guillermo Vargas Habacuc , he is guilty in the charge of cruelty to animal and also should be charged guilty in the humanitarian court for promoting death and agony to a world that is striving to live and preserve earth as a place of living, not death and agony.

It is sad for me to think that there are people who feel that the best way to make a point is to put on pedestal the very thing they claim to be against.

Keeping a defenseless scared animal tethered and on display lacks compassion. People who saw this dog on display and did nothing should be equally ashamed.

Read dmppdks comment before! I have a reply to all your questions ok??

It dosent matter if the artists intention was not to kill the dog, the fact is that if a dog is in that state it should not be tied up without water, food and somewhere to sleep for hours on end!

There could've been something done for that dog, ITS CALLED RANGERS!! in case you dont know what that is, i'll explain, They take homeless dogs and FIND THEM NEW ONES!!!

Sure dogs in wild can go without food for days but this dog is CLEARLY NOT WILD it is domesticated, meaning it needs humans support to survive! You can clearly tell that the artist didnt feed the dog, look at how thin and weak it is! USE YOUR EYES!!

The dog probably did die because what would this "artist" want with a dog he had just starved half to death, as if he would go through all of that and then just let it go to suffer more! If he was truely trying to prove a point he would help the dog in the end!

Sure we can provide food and shelter for a homeless dog but did he have to say that by torturing an animal????

The "artists" intention was to show people that there are many starving dogs sure, but must he show this in a inhumane way??!!!

You dont put a dog on display to the world if you could've been doing good rather than harm, by getting that dog what it needed. And of course dogs die on the streets but they are NOT TIED UP and treated as a exibition. If this so called "artist" wanted to portray the awful deaths of dogs on the streets DO IT THROUGH A FIKEN PAINTING OR SOMETHING NOT PUTTING A DOG THROUGH THE PAIN OF BEING WATCHED TO DIE! These people commenting are not "lemmings" as you say, they are acting upon the cold hard facts....THE PICTURES (As the old saying goes pictures say a thousand words). And even if no-one had commented on this each person that came across this issue would act as they did. Its natural instinct to feel sypathetic about something being tortured.

How about YOU think dmppdks!

I must admit this is definatly the wrong way to go about proving a point and DEFINATLY should not be repeated

BUT

i dont think that he had all these horrible ideas of hurting the dog i think he just went about his exhibition wrongly... Since he has the fame now why not try holding an exhibition in a park and putting out LOTS of food and showing the people who come to see it just how many dogs come out of the shadows to feed... then not only do you get a very strong msg across but hey you give the poor dogs a meal or 2. i'm pretty sure you're going to shock an 'art fan' a lot more if they are suddenly surrounded by 50 odd stray dogs than watching one dog die...

People are trying to justify his act by saying that humans would not have noticed or cared about the dog if he was left in the streets.

Well...what about animal shelters and organizations that try to give abandoned animals a home? There are people out there who cared about this issue way before this disgusting sadistic "artist" mercilessly watched a poor animal die a long and painful death by starvation.

To be honest, the dog probably would have gotten enough food on the street to at least stay alive, which is better than being forcefully starved-- albeit its life would not have been wonderful.

P.S--the bystanders who went to see and support this exhibit it are just as deplorable.

it shouldn't matter his intention or what he was trying to prove.

an act of cruelty is cruelty.
the end.

now, hopefully it's just a rumor.
hopefully, it's not true at all.

but if it is true, then that is not art.
how about you paint a dog being tied to the wall?
or a sculpture that's huge that no one can miss?
or a collage of photographs of these poor animals in the streets?

that's art. and that's saying something without any physically controversial action.
the most powerful type of art.

Question... Was anyone in that neck of the woods, did anyone go see the exhibition, obviously some people knew about it when it was going on... Nobody stepped in with a pair of wire cutters and took the dog to a vet, or turned up with food for the dog...

Given what the guy was trying to put across albeit in a rather alarming fashon, does anyone think he'd have stopped you if you tried to help the dog?

As for hunger organisations... show me an organisation where the MAJORITY of my money will go where I intended it and I'll put a deeper hole in my big red bank balance.

Where I live there are plenty of con-artists and plenty of beggars, the problem is telling them apart...

Here's the thing, even though i've signed the petition, and repulse what he has done, what vargas did still counts as art. I also find it necessary to add it was a good piece. Art is never supposed to conform, art is supposed to be a creative expression of one's ideas, it's supposed to make people think.

Whatever Vargas' intent in this was is erroneous, but the fact that it has stirred up this much controversy and that it has gotten you people thinking means it was a successful piece. Maybe nowadays it takes something like this to get us to look introspectively, and identify all our own faults.

I am horrified and appalled by this and I hope this disgusting man who by the way in NOWAY is an artist endures the most horrible death and pain in this world and beyond!!!!!!!!

There is no doubt tat this was a horrible, cruel act, but issue death threats on an internet blog is not going to help anyone. Guillermo Vargas Habacuc should not be put to death. He was attempting to bring a grim subject to peoples attention, and he has done so. Also, hes not the only one behind this.

He didn't just chain and starve a dog for his own personal enjoyment. He brought this terrible idea to a museum, where he had to convince museum owners and art directors to even hold this exhibit.

Also think about the condition of this dog, he didnt starve it until it was thin and sick, he simply showed it in the terrible cruel state he found it.

This was nothing more than a very misguided attempt to bring attention to a problem. Unfortunately, now instead the attention has been shifted to all of our hatred towards Guillermo Vargas Habacuc, instead of the real issue where it belongs.

This is not Art. This is exploitation and cruelty.

dmppdks - Stop boring us with your useless information and get a life or a brain for that matter. You really have no idea what this is about do you!!! It is people like you thank try and think too hard and don't have have the .... to do something about it - why cos they love the sound of their own voice!

this is god awfull and is just so hard to watch. the love i wish the thousands of people that care could give him or her.

it so important to remember that this happens so much everywhere animals are tortured so mabee one day with so much helpwe can put a sop to this.

YOU think: Just look at the pictures, did the dog look like it was sick and about to die?
If it was really being fed, why did he died days after or why would it even escape?
Dogs die every day on the streets, but they are NOT tied up.
If I was to pass by its side I would have thought it had an owner and was being fed and would have kept going my own way. And even if the food was beside the dog I would have though it was there for the owner to give it to it later. (If you don't know many dogs are trained to eat at specific hours).
So in the conditions Gillermo had it no one would have suspected it was being starved to death.
Even if it was left to go, it was CRUEL just to leave it without food and to PREVENT it from trying to find some for days.
Although he "allegedlly" "tried to prove a point" and YOU say people are doing the FUZZ because it was done on an exibition and wasn't on the streets.
The FUZZ is not totally about that dog being starved. It is more, actually, because he "Supposedly" is going to do it again.

So do YOU people that said that the others should think and rationalize, have YOU?
Think about it and let me know.
I DO think Guillermo Vargas ‘Habacuc’ should be tied up, and that he should be stopped from doing it again.

YOU may have convinced many people, but your "jedi mind tricks" won't work on me, they only work on weak minds.

If YOU want to refute and write a message to my attention just write "To Jedi Apprentice" and May the Force be With You, Always.

Art? I am disgusted that the artist thought of this as art and the organisers allowed it. This should be a criminal offense and not taken lightly. I believe in kharma and this is one of those moments that i know kharma will shine on through. That poor dog.

Hmm...no one argues with you that suffering is an inescapable fact of the human condition.

But by your reasoning (regarding cruelty and sadism as central to life), would it be okay if we tied misfortunate children up and starved them to death in order to make a public statement about suffering and society's indifference?

This "artist" is only creating more suffering to show us that there is suffering in the world....It doesn't quite make sense, and we really don't need an art installation to tell us that.

Zenbuddha77, I hope you find a healthy outlet for the underlying aggressive impulses you seem to possess.

most people with antisocial behaviors start off like this then they start killing people and call that fair.

Animals, like children need help in protecting themselves. His reasoning in not feeding the animal: that is was going to die anyways. Is like saying we shouldn't treat cancer patients.

There's ALWAYS hope- even if it's for a short time, that animal could have been fed and loved. All of the rescues and volunteer organizations out there prove that there are SOME people out there that care enough to act.

If you've posted on here and never volunteers or done something to better your society- you're just as hypocritical as he is.

The cruelty is in fact Vargas took the poor thing from the streets,tied it up to where it could not fend for itself. If the dog was indeed on the streets and not tied up natural instincts kick in and it being an animal in need would more than likely survive unless illness or in fact something living would have taken its life.

On the streets the dog could have found scraps of food and water. Being tied up without access to these things did indeed kill the dog and I think he needs punished.

Don't kill him,but let him see what 4 days without food and water feels like and then maybe he'll do something artistic by saving a starving dog or animal.

Shame on the artist. Shame on those who walked by. Shame on each of us for doing nothing about world hunger. So, get off your can and give to a World Hunger organization. Now.

thats so wrong words cant even describe how wrong it is

i dont really agree with the public torture the poor animal has to go through, but i am forced to acknowledge his reasoning as factual, human beings can be the most uncaring, cruel creatures around!!! just goes to show that we are all sinners that need saving=). rather then make the problem worse why doesn't he do something about it?!!!

The dog was able to stand and move about, there was every chance to save him, put him on an intravenous drip for a few days at the vetinarian's and rehabilitate it... "The Dog was going to die anyway" what utter utter rubbish.

Cruelty is holy and sadism sacred to the human condition! And I for one applaud the dual non artistic meaning of the vAG-ass exhibit, as well as everyone sending Jan through Dec jokes, 365 days a year, to every financial and governmental institution in the world...one thought filled terrorist message after another...all in his honor!

This is the most disgusting article I have ever read. This artist should be exposed to the same fate that he allowed this poor defenseless dog to suffer. Shame on the people who actually witnessed this display and did NOTHING...

As an artist, I am disgusted with this TALENTLESS and CRUEL display. His justifications are completely off base. His title as an artist should starve and die as did this poor dog. ANyone can kill, it takes a CREATOR, not a MURDERER to create art. Shame on him and those who allowed this attrocity to occur.

Ok, regardless of whether the dog was fed after hours or not, the point is that the dog was on the street and he had a chance to scavenge for his own food and survival, but the so called artist chained him to the wall, denying the creature of any chance of scavenging.

If the dog would have died on the street, then the laws of nature would have played out-survival of the fittest, but this obviously wasn't the case. IS it true that there was food and water and nobody fed the dog? The gallery director, the "artist" and everybody that attended the opening or anybody who saw the show is responsible and they have their own conscious to deal with. What is really sad is how much exposure the "artist" and gallery are receiving.

Every day 10,000 children die of starvation...everyday. Should we tie up a starving African baby to the wall of a gallery to do something about it? If the richest nations gave 0.07 percent of their GNP, extreme poverty would be done away with....why isn't there a petition going around to get these governments to do something about this?

I know what a lemming is. I do not lisp and pronounce "sensitive" incorrectly. I am not 45, Nor am I bored. I am not sure that I am even angry, just very, very, saddened that there are such sick people in this world. If indeed this is true, shame on the gallery, shame on the sick monster who perpetrated this abomination. Shame on any person who walked by and did nothing.

Where was the "Good Samaritan?" If this poor darling animal had been left to scavenge at least he would have been able to scavenge, and not have had to suffer the cruelty of people walking by and ignoring his plight. Did he lack dignity in his death-I think not. It is the humans who did this who have no dignity, no love, no soul, no hope. There is no justification. None.

And no justification will give the perpetrators peace in their hearts. Maybe this is the fitting punishment. And incidently-no, I would not walk by a starving dog in the street.

if he does it again, why don't any of you haters go to the gallery and feed the poor dog ?!?
that would make you an artists

This is the foulest most inhumane thing I've ever heard. He was not trying to prove a point. He's a worthless moron. He used something "sensational" to gain some fame. Repulsive. Repulsive. He says the animal was going to die anyway. So he killed it in a worse way? Hypocrite.

What an incredibly profound piece of art. All of you who call this sick are bourgeois pricks. Remarkable numbers of human beings die every week in third world countries because of war, famine, and poverty.

None of you are protesting that. Instead you're protesting the death of one miserable dog who belonged to nobody. Use your "humanitarian" attitude to a productive end and see where the real problem lies...

I think the artist's point is proven.

I think the real kicker of all of this isn't the fact that the dog was tied up, it's the fact that not one person attempted to free or feed the dog while it was on display. Do you think the dog should be freed? gather a group of people together and cut the rope! you think it should have been fed? find a way to force feed an ailing animal, bring it food! bring it water!

In a world where unreasonable human death is increasing by the nano second, stories like this neither surprise me nor encourage my faith in the human race.

the artist is probably right, the dog most likely would have died un noticed on the streets and none of you fine folks would have batted an eyelid at it, but since it died how it probably would have died in public view, it's torturous and cruel.
v I am a dog lover and have owned dogs throughout my life, but the artist makes a strong point, and that point is that the majority of the people who scream out against this exhibit are hypocrites.

On his blog he states that the dog died the day after his exhibition, so it didn't escape.

KATZ: Guillermo Gomez-Pena and Coco Fusco locked THEMSELVES in a cage. They did not let the challenge/burden of their art fall upon another being. Think a little harder.

To everyone yelling monster etc, why don't you just walk into the gallery and set the dog free, or at least feed it and give it water? I doubt anyone would stop you.

why did people just stand there and let it happen? they're just as bad

Even if this was art, it would not be acceptable.

"During this time, many people visited the art gallery, paying absolutely no attention to the torment of the dying dog. "

Why didn't these "many people" feed the dog? Bring him some food if they cared so much. I highly doubt anyone would have stopped them.

Isn't this what the artist tried to convey?
-Look around, we are all monsters.

I didn't say that its right, but he sure proved his point.
v Also, much worse things happening in the world right now. Sign a petition about that.

Good to know that people can sit behind their computers and type their souls away. Everything that lives, will die. If you have a problem with it, then do something about it. Typing your emotionally drained statements on the afterthought of an article is pretty cathartic...

Have a wonderful day planet Earth!

GO FEED A HOMELESS PERSON

then you have the right to freak on this artist. you all are just a bunch of talkers until you are actively help

Looking through the comments I see two sides to this. One says "He's horrible! Put him in jail! Monster!" etc the other says "You're all lemmings following a trend. You just care because it's popular media. It's not wrong it's art! What about other animal and people?"

Well I don't understand this artists logic in showing off whats already all over the world. People see it every day yet care less and less as it becomes more common. Sure I'll go find a homeless man and put him in a cage and take pictures of him dying.

Then I'll win a prize and fame hahahahahaha yay me? Heh' Nope. I don't think he should have won an award for something any idiot could do. Also I on't feel his art was even that good. Basically it sucks and was a waste of a dogs last days.

On the other hand people need to chill focusing on this dog and calling the guy a monster. Instead of looking at this why don't you go walk out into the city and find a lost cat or dog and help them because I'm sure this guys gonna redo this anyway no matter how many of you sign the petition.

So instead of hidng behind computer screens yelling for justice for one dog which may not even be saved, go help more then you know you'll get here by helping those who actually are within your grasp.

... That is all.

it makes me sad to see so much ignorance. no one thinks for themselves anymore.

Guillermo Vargas is not an Artist, he is an self-aggrandizing, attention seeking monster who used cruelty to a poor animal to achieve notoriety and fame.

I read that the artist who, is said to have sarved the dog, is 50 years of age. That would mean that he would have been born in the (Chinese) Year of the Dog, I wonder if he knows that?

I have to agree with dmppdks on the main issue here - did he starve the dog to death or was it a stunt?

It would be wise to find out before calling for his head....and remember Gandhi's advice....'An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.'

I hope the dog survived. If the dog was allowed to die, I cannot condone it, even if it was done with what the 'artist' believed where honourable intentions....the same effect could have been achieved by employing a smarter method. My advice would be to put down the gun and pick up the camera.

Ignorance is the enemy...and the truth is our salvation, because the truth exposed can change world opinion for the betterment of man and womankind.....Like the artist Jamie Reid said; Peace is Tough, so get off your arse and do something POSITIVE about it to bring about the change.

Save yourself. The world would, I think, be a better place without people trying to save it all the time.

What the artist has done, indeed, seems unnatural in our time. Yet we kill animals every day. Were indigenous peoples "barbarians" for sacrificing animals (before Europeans wiped them out), or were they just doing what was right for them? So this artist sacrificed a dog to his god of art. Would I? No.

But I still eat meat that has been disemboweled alive, drive a car from time to time, and own clothes which probably were made by children who will be crippled by their labor. I'm trying...

Save yourself. That should be work enough for one's life.

If there are laws against Animal Cruetly (which I think we all agree this is) and this is allowed, what is to stop him from doing this to a child?

He obviously has the mental capability of letting a living creature starve to death.

Will officials wait until he takes a homeless child off the street, locks him in a box and watches him starve to death.

I am an animal lover. and I also love art. I think it was terribly cruel of this artist but if the dog was living on the street in the first place how much longer did he have to live anyways?

I mean its like he went out and bought a puppy and starved it. no. still its not a very good thing to do but.. sometimes you have to do dramatic things do get peoples attention.

There is absolutely no excuse for torturing an animal, even in the name of education. Yes, there are people suffering in the world but adding animals to those numbers can never help the situation.

Honestly, would you ever see a starving dog and think "oh well, there are people dying all the time, so I'll just ignore it"?.

Give me a break! If you think that, then why the damn hell don't you feed the dog, release it so it can have some freedom, and then actually DO SOMETHING for the people out there who are also suffering??

Whatever happened to leading by example people?! Instead of starving a dog to death maybe this 'artist' should actually get out there and make a difference!

My guess is the proceeds of his so called exhibition didn't go towards any charities! Instead Vargas grows richer thanks to these sick publicity stunts.

He is a pathetic, repulsive sadist who will one day have to answer for his crimes - I wonder how long he will last before he begs for more mercy than he ever showed that innocent dog?

Do me a favour. Get off the computer and go and do something for the world, and I guarantee you in the first five minutes you will have done more good than Vargas can ever hope to achieve.

do some studying you idiots, yes he was invited to represent costa rica, but he is doing a completely unrelated piece. Costa Rica has laws against that type of art and it is not being allowed.

Its sick. He shouldn't have taken it out on an innocent dog, irrespective of the moral statement that he was trying to make. If he was in England he would have been arrested on an animal cruelty charge

my whole point if the dog was on the streets it could have atleast found food somewhere but being tied inside a building it had no way of getting food !

You all may want to check out this video about the case: http://video.nbc10.com/player/?id=241333

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated - Gandhi. And the 'greatness' of this 'artist' can be judged im months to come by his overweening exhibitionism and the sour taste left in the mouth. He has changed nothing, achieved nothing, the merit, or otherwise, of any of his other works is overshadowed by this cheap sensationalism, this meaningless petty tyranny of a small soul, and probably smaller talent.

A truely disgusting, monsterous man who deserves nothing more than the fate he imposed upon that poor animal.

i do not condone him for his actions. i also think he was/is wrong for doing that.

but i want to point out how ridiculous this all is. everyone here is in an uproar about this dog that was starved and captured when there are PEOPLE suffering the same conditions and worse in Darfur, Tibet, Burma and many other places. There are children forced into prostitution. People dying in Africa from aids. Countries ravaged by wars.

Then again, I do realize that all these people commenting on this person are doing so because it's the hot topic of the moment.

To all those who take any side of this story - whether you condemn or support - make your voice heard by rescuing ONE animal in distress.

DO IT NOW AND THERE WILL NEVER AGAIN BE A NEED FOR AN EXHIBITION LIKE THIS.

The more i read about this topic the more i can see both sides of the story.....BUT

The topic could have also been raised by {like others have mentioned} Himself sitting there chained in the corner of the room. Waiting for someone to feed him, to actually see if people would reach out & bring him food & water. I feel if he was a real "artist", he would of died to bring his message to light. Whether the dog was homeless, sick or dying, it was the dog that paid the ultimate price for someone elses vision.

This, to me makes him no different to any of our past or present dictaters! I am not religious but, for example.. did Jesus send his boys out to find someone to replace him on the cross? I dont think so! If you feel these topics are in need of attention Mr Guillermo Vargas, then how about growing some Kahuna's and stand up for what you believe in & lead by example!

If it is issues & topics that you want to raise awareness about, then do not hide behind the banner of "ART"! You have valid points to be raised Mr Vargas but i am disgusted & outraged that you would pick such a vile way to get your point across!! One way or another you will be accountable !!

We may have ignored the dog on the street but it would have had the freedom to locate food, litter left by humans and survived on it's own instinct and skills. Denying this dog that freedom makes this art very wrong, not just an issue of morality or such but an issue for Mr Vargas himself. If the dog was fed after hours Mr Vargas should declare this as he has made his point via the dog on exhibition but we need to know how he operated "after hours".

Noone is asking Mr Vargas to be ethical or moral but as humans we need to know the fate of the dog - the truth, that is. Yes as humans we are devoid of a lot of social responsibility but this kind of ignorance doesn't occur in ALL nations.

Is Mr Vargas making a statement about his own nation? How do Costa Ricans feel about this condemnation of their ethics? You know, that dog looked sick, not just hungry, but very sick. Kill the dog and put it out of it's misery - who's responsible for getting it here in the first place - but don't let it starve due to human capture.

So who here now will be donating money to help stop the injustices happening to these stray animals in this mans home country? Or will you simply continue to be angry at him for making you watch this kind of crulty, that you would elsewise turn a blind eye to?

Cruelty in any form is unacceptable. inflicting more cruelty to highlight the problem of cruelty is just as unacceptable, if not more so. Cruelty more often than not occurs through lack of information or the resources or ability to prevent it.

This man set out to intentionally harm this dog. He with held help and did not alleviate the suffering of the dog even though once he had caught it he could have quite easily done so - we should be worried - a staggering number of convicted serial killers start off intentiaonally inflicting pain and suffering upon animals.

If we allow this sort of thing to happen, to be considered art, where do we stop. Do we allow men to beat or sexually assault women publicly in order to highlight the problem? or allow children to be abused to highlight child abuse? What he did required no talent - just a predisposition to being cruel and a cold, hard heart.

What would have been more artist and helpful would have been going to a pound, taking photos of the poor animals there, and displaying them with adoption details.

This would have highlighted the plight of strays and abused animals far better. it would not have inflicted further cruelty and posed the potential of finding new homes for some of those featured in the exibition. It would also require some skill on the artists parttaking good photos.

This is no way to prove a point. What this man did completly disrespeted the life of this animal. He decided that this particular animals life was worthless and had to be taken to prove a point for the "greater good". Yes, the animal may have died anyway in the street, but as soon as he took that dog in, its death became his responsibilty.

He could have fed it, gave it water, gave it medical care, he could have gave it even just some comfort, so at least before it died it knew warmth and compassion. But he had a complete disrespect for the life of this animal and turned its sickness and death into a spectacle for people to look upon in disgust and awe.

I understand he was trying to make a point, but some respect for the life of that dog needed to be given in doing so. Perhaps if he really cares so much about the stray dogs in the street he could donate any money he makes from the dog exhibits to helping dogs.....

ok , there are LOTS and LOTS of posts on here. Now either the dog is dead, or its not, but instead of typing loads and loads about what you think or want to do to some guy (1 in 6 billion) because of 1 dog (1 in millions too) , how about using all that energy to try help and/or save other dogs and animals. Get together, form a group on the internet, do something positive . And do something, instead of just writing and writing loads of posts.

Why don't I do something? Because the reality is, I'm not that worked up about this story that I read on the internet (most of the internet i don't believe) - I am however surprised at people's reactions , getting all worked up in words, but at the end of the day,nothing gets done about it.

Curse me as well if you want , that'll be productive too.

The artist was trying to make a point by showing the public how ALL the dogs in the area were being treated.

Sometimes art is more dramatic than just a painting.

Instead of everyone signing a petition to save this ONE dog, why doesn't everyone realize what the artist is trying to say and do something about all the OTHER hundreds of dogs starving to death?? The dog would have died anyway, because that is how the condition is there.

ok guys...we're getting a little bit pissy for no particular reason here.

I've spent some time researching this, and there's no concrete information backing the fact that this dog was abused. There are no interviews with Vargas, or statements, or really anything that suggests this "reporter" has any concrete details at all.

so, put your pitchforks down. chill out. don't get all crazy until you know the facts. all we know is there was a dog, and a dude that tied him up...you can manipulate a picture however you want! there could be food and toys and rainbows with the dog for all we know.

and as long as we're in pissy angry mob mode, what's up with all the pictures of the dog online?

where were all these "outraged" throngs of people while the exhibit was going on? could it be that we're blowing this WAAAAYYY out of proportion?

probably.

It is insulting to the idea of Art to suggest this display of animal cruelty is such...Mr. Vargas destroyed this animals chance for survival the moment he removed him from the street environment, where this dog had obviously sustained itself until being captured and displayed...

What Mr. Vargas did was not within the realm of an Artists responsibilty to inform or bring to light...what he did was shed light on himself...portrait of an attention starved artist...please be sure to pass this on, and don't bother attempting to justify to me...if I lived in your country, I'd find you, and strap you to a wall, so you could truly shed light on the plight of starving artists everywhere!!!

Even to prove a point, such an act is unjustified, no matter what person or creature is left to starve.

If the artist is actually interested in making this point of humanity, he should also accept the social fall out and be willing to be punished for the crime of it. Hurting and animal for a good cause does not exempt him from the charges of cruelty.

he didn't have pets growing up obviously. if he's trying to show povety or whatsoever, why not pictures or a model of a starving dog? using a real animal like that shows that he has no compassion to others. not only to animals but to humans as well.

Open your eyes Vargas. your "art" doesn't look like art to others. Even the ones who viewed your gallery didn't even noticed the dog. probably because they thought that is was not part of your "ART". i hate you vargas.

Even if done with the best of intentions, this was an act of cruelty. But how many of those that are outraged by this think of the pain the cow or pig was in when it died for you to eat it? Or the pain that chickens live in to provide eggs? No matter whether the dog lived or died, would have lived or died, this was not the way to make a point.

He was painfully thin and needed medical care. Dog fighting, cock fighting, neglect, abuse, happen here in the United States. Even though the artist might have been making what he thought was a valid point, it was done in a way that should offend most feeling, thinking people. I hope everyone that was offended by what he does will take a moment to think about their lifestyles and their leather shoes and purses and just where the steak on their plate came from.

HBO once had a special, To Love or to Kill, that showed the Chinese slaughtering cats and dogs for food. I was horrified! But when the rabbi came on and reminded the viewers that the only difference between eating a cat or dog or cow or pig was our perspective of what is acceptable to eat, I could no longer justify my previous food choices.

All I am asking is that those of you that are horrified by this act that you do some research and learn how the mother cow mourns for her calf; how chickens are de-beaked and live in horrendous conditions.

I ask that you do more than just be horrified at what this man has done and ask you to make knowing, informed choices about how you live your life--what you eat and what you wear. In other words, put your words into action--save an animal by not eating one! They die in horrendous agony, screaming in terror. Do more than just speak and condemn this man for his act--do something positive with your own life!

I don't like dogs in general but this was a sick act so as an answer to his statement else where if these dogs get sick or starve and die anyways... well then artists starve sometimes too but yet we have yet to take this sick bastard and tie him up and let him die for art so leave the damn dogs be.

sorry for my language but fuck that how would he like it if HE was tied to the wall?! animals have souls to there not lower then us.If he really does this again i pray to god that somone unties or sets loose the next poor animal.that sonnova bitch.

This is not art. Whatever "fine line" ther may, Vargas has crossed it. To murder an innocent is not art. Shame on Vargas! He has a heavy Karmic debt to pay.

I am not saying the artist was right in what he did, just the exact opposite.

But a message has been understood. If he did not tie up a real dog and let it die then none of you would have been so upset about it. Petitions would not have been started, organizations to help dogs in the street would not have been started.

In the long run what he did was inappropriate, but highly effective.

He is a very soulless person to make and watch the dog suffer like that. I wonder if someone did it to him where he would still think it were art.

What is learned by this exhibition? That we don't notice the neglect of society on these kinds of animals unless it is the direct effect of human action?

Maybe it is shocking, unattempted until now, makes us think, react...all things connected with some art. But was this "medium" really necessary to send whatever message he was trying to send? No...

What next? homicide will be allowed because it was named art? I'm gonna drag a homeless guy into the Met, tie him up and kill him... What do you mean its wrong? Its art. No one cared for that man on the street. The context in which it is done doesn't justify it as allowable, legal, right.

This story is a hoax. There has been no dog, no death, no gallery.

You are just a group of naive people.

What is wrong with people that let anyone carry out such an inhumane act on a stray dog, how long before his next victim is a down and out person to ill or to poor to be able to care for themselves is used in the same way as this dog.

It must now be clear why so many charities spend time and money doing there best to teach people to show some compassion and kindness to living animals.

If this is art , its only art to those with nothing in life to care about but themselves. This only proves that some counties in the 21st century are still happy to live in the barbaric past from centuries ago.

If this had taken place in the Uk this actist would not have left his studio alive, it would have been more to his credit to have shown kindness to the dog, not abused it for self gratification and gain of social standing, he is worse than an animal himself

This is not art. Someone should do this to the artist.

how many times have each and everyone of you passed a stray dog and done nothing about it?

This dog died the same way it would have if it were free. Vargas was proving a point.

That people will watch something suffer and not do anything about it. It would have been the same situation if it were anywhere else. It's called diffusion of responsibility.

The more people that are around to witness someone or something in need, the less they feel responsible for helping it.

A man who calls himself an "artist" tied up a homeless and hungry dog, and amused at his agony for days. These ARE the facts and THIS is enough information for me to decide that this man not only doesnt deserve to be called an artist, but does not deserve to be called a human, does not even deserve to be called a dog or an animal.

Sure there are worse atrocities in the world, but we need to do what we CAN, and believe me MANY people COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO STOP THIS!!!!! I AM SO GLAD I LIVE IN THIS USA WHERE RIDICULOUS EVIL ACTS LIKE THIS ARE NOT ACCEPTED---BECAUSE SOME IGNORANT PEOPLE BELIEVE IF YOU CANT SAVE THE WORLD DO NOTHING AT ALL----INSTEAD IF EVERYONE DID SOMETHING BIG OR SMALL THE WORLD WOULD BE A CHANGED PLACE! DO WHAT YOU CAN TO HELP AND THAT IS ALL WE CAN ASK FOR---DONT TURN YOUR HEAD! AND I KNOW MANY PEOPLE (MYSELF INCLUDED) THAT WOULD HAVE FED THIS ANIMAL IF THEY SAW IT ON THE STREET!

Haha, ok Animal Planet

A dog in NYC somewhere is mistreated. Its reported by a citizen and the animal is rescued. The dog is given treatment, and its owner is held responsible and may possibly face criminal charges.

A dog in Costa Rica is mistreated. Its put on display and viewed like some kind of enterainment piece as people walk past it to get to the next piece of shit in the gallery. The "artist" is commended and asked to repeat the act for another show.

I am going to guess you've never been anywhere near New York City since your best retort was "I saw it on Amimal Planet" (LMAO).

One person mistreating a dog in NYC and drawing the attention of their neighbors and city officials vs. one person ("artist") mistreating a dog and drawing praise from patrons and art critics. Hmm which society seems more civilized..?

you are an embarrassment to the human race

Peace.

I feel actual physical pain when looking at the photos… I cannot understand how any human with a heart can watch without emotion. We were given the authority to take care of the earth and animals. This “artist” has abused his authority. I feel like doing the same to this man… But judgment is not for us. I surely do not want to be in this so-called “artist’s” shoes when he stands in front of God…

This email moved me to tears- Why to god didn't the artist place himself on the rope instead of the dog, then he could FEEL the pain he so wanted the general public to see.....

I'm a great believer in the saying - you always get back what you put in, I would love to be there when he gets his.........

"Only in a dump like Costa Rica would something like this fly. Try this in New York and see what happens. Maybe in a shithole like Costa Rica they ignore stray and sick animals that need veterinary attention but here in the civilized world we don't."

are you dumb?umm yes it does happen in the US...especially New York. all you have to do is watch shows on animal planet, to realize that. I think its SICK that you sympathize with animals, but you generalize about a whole society. who the hell called YOU civilized???

dont run your mouth

you are an embarrassment to the American people.

im sure we are all of one mind on the atrocities of this act. And i was initially happy that there were so many people, who were moved by this exhibit. however, i wanted to know what he could POSSIBLY be thinking.

This article does touch on his viewpoints a bit, but i wish there was another resource. right now, i feel like i don't have enough content to criticize, objectively. personally speaking, this is wrong. but, i don't want to close my eyes and shut my ears to the other side of the debate.

the best criticism i could give right now: as stated above, he tried to justify himself by saying he wanted the world to see suffering, in his exhibit, that they would not have paid mind to elsewhere. So he intended this to be political art? as a way to rile people up? or to is it aesthetic art...meant to appeal to us individually as beautiful. whatever his intention. i think it went wrong. he took this piece of "suffering" and he put it in an enclosed environment, and he let it fester.

so....where if on the street, this dog would have starved, by itself. it had the freedom, and it had the POSSIBILITY to not starve...and to be frank...how many of us would have truly responded. to those who say, someone who viewed this exhibit should have let the dog free....my response is...that would NOT have helped the dog, just gotten it off your hands.

Diego bears responsibility for this, and thats what makes us all mad. we have someone to blame for this dog.... perhaps....that was the message that he was trying to convey: if i do it...does it make it worse than if it happens by itself and looking at the issue universaly, sadly, this case does not stand by itself. there is endless amount of cruelty, whether it be by the hands of a single person, or the silence of millions.

What he did, though with "good intent", was cruel! WE are gainst animal testing and cruelty to animals then how can one justify this as ART.

It's not aboput walking the moral high ground, but exploiting a poor weak defenseless creature to make a statement and further his own cause as an artist, is appalling.

Would he have got this much press and hype otherwise, had it not been for this shameful and cruel ploy for the sake of making us aware of our own shortcomings as human beings! Mr Vargas take a deep look inside at your own motives first!!!

Maybe the dog starved to death, maybe it didnt. Just putting it on display in a gallery, which there is no debate about it happening, is an act of cruelty.

Only in a dump like Costa Rica would something like this fly. Try this in New York and see what happens. Maybe in a shithole like Costa Rica they ignore stray and sick animals that need veterinary attention but here in the civilized world we don't.

Anybody who defends this as art deserves all the worst in life. Peace.

And if the abandoned dog was a human? A baby boy or baby girl, a son or daughter, sick or healthy? Would that still be art?

I had a think , considered everything rationally and logically and came you the conclusion that you really are a fucking tool

This is horrific, and the sorry excuse for an artist is a sadist with absolutely no morals, values or ethics.

Many of the comments here, in effort to defend the "artist", seem to buy into the assumption that all people passing a dying dog on the street would do nothing to help. I highly disagree.

Also, who is to say that many people at this gallery exhibit did indeed want to help the dog but their efforts were restrained in order for the "art" to have its full effect.

This is exploitation masquerading as "art".

If the artist wanted to expose the plight of abandoned and homeless animals, why not photograph them where they were found, in their sad conditions, then provide the care the animal needed. Then have the same animals there at the exhibit (in their newly healthy and cared for conditions) sitting next to images of their former selves.

The effect on the people of a happy, social dog that was saved by a little human kindness I believe would have had a bigger (and more positive) effect than some arch, cynical experiment that proves Guillermo Vargas is not only a questionable artist, but a poor excuse for a human being.

P.S. I have been a volunteer at a local county stray dog shelter for the last 6 years. We take these abandoned dogs and give them the medical and behavioral training they need to be adopted into new, forever homes, with great success.

I think dmppdks there has a good point. Where is the proof? I sure can't find one. I think the artist had simply found the wrong way to approach the crowd. The moral he was trying to tell wasn't comprehensible enough to the viewers, therefore resulting so much resentment from the crowd.

And besides, why are you people so angry? These kinds of things happen everyday! Have you done something to prevent it?? Anything other than flaming around on the internet?

So sad that people like this have to waist such valuable oxygen.

What you do, will be done unto you !!! Remember that when you're suffering the same way you made this poor precious dog suffer.

And to all those that went to see the "art", SHAME ON YOU !!! May you feel the same pain he felt !!!

How can you misstreat an innocent animal in such an inhuman way? You might as well take a homeless child & do the same - right? To all those that cause harm on animals - You are all such Low life, pittifull peson/s!!!

After Reading some of the comments of people trying to be 'different' with their opinions, saying we are all lemmings for signing - any animal lover would sign without question because THEY CARE UNCONDITIONALLY.

I wouldnt walk by any animal in the street OR gallery. I would take it to saftey for treatment or PUT IT TO SLEEP TO END SUFFERING!!

I rescued a young thin pregnant cat as no one else would , and took her to the vet where it turned out she had a fatal disease which would have led to a slow painful death on the streets. so i had to have her put down.

If I followed in 'artists' actions, I should have tied her up and invited people to watched her die to how them how cats are being left to die to make people think about it... I DONT THINKS SO!!

Some days I am ashamed of being human.

As people voice their outrage ask yourself- have you ever been to a circus? And what have you done to stop innocents being murdered in iraq and afghanistan? Now does your ivory tower look as high or as white as before? Didn't think so. Yes this is barbarous but there are things far more barbarous which are ignored as well.

Letting a dog DIE ON PURPOSE in order to express an opinion, is pathetic, egocentric and discusting. Even if the opinion expressed (about our hypocricy etc) is true and right.. One can find other ways to speak up about problems like this.

Art is dead. People that consider themselves as artists in this manner are completely disturbed in their own little pathetic world. There are no more artists left in the world. True visionaries have already made their honorable name in the books of history.

In this day and age, there are none that have the "talents" to create "art". We are infested with copycats and failures in today's art society. Art has become so pathetic that it has lowered its values into cruelty and misguidance.

There is no "revolution" nor "originality". There are only people that live in a fantasy world that they have created on their own, colored with the shade of disgrace.

Most would agree that some examples of "art form" of today created by our wasteful youth and disturbed individuals such as Habacuc, portray such dark and tormenting imagery. I have to say "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TODAY'S SOCIETY?"

Art should not cross such a fine line that divides creativity and the welfare of all beings, regardless of who or what.

ART IS DEAD!!!

although i'm much happier thinking the dog was released and didn't actually die, i still think even if it did that he is making a good point, that dog would have died anyway on the street and nobody would have cared, so what differance does it make? "out of sight, out of mind" right?

If you are in artist, and plan to do something this controversial, irregardless of your motives, you had better be conscientious enough to seek legal counsel before you put yourself into this type of situation. Vargas may or may not be a sadist, but he is no genius... in fact, he pretty damn stupid.

Small acts of kindness by many people creates a better world. This one act of cruelty has led to more pain.

Murder as an artform? And people came to see it? I'm disgusted and ashamed to share the planet with someone as low as Mr. Habacuc and those who patronize his insanity.

I live in africa where the children die of hunger, and all your other excuses, we do live with this all day long, every day, this is a reality for us, not a sad story! We do our best to help, this is not helping! Killing this poor animal in such a cruel way does not help in any way, not even the people you say you are doing this for appreciate this!!!

You are only teaching and showing more cruelty to a world which is already too dark and full of horrible deaths every day! In your order of ideas we should do the same to you, to show the world that there is a lot of cruelty, tie you up and let you die????

Well, I really am skeptical with all of the stories of the dog's escape, or death or whatever. This man doesn't live here in the states. Here in America Land we feed inbred muts chicken and beef dinners and seem to forget about everything else, like children in this country who don't get food.

We've made dogs the center of everything. Still we even have starving "man's best friends" being burned every day in kennels. We are all a bunch of f-ing crazy people that would just as soon let our muts eat at the damned table. How legendary that a dum dog gets so much publicity for something actually poignant and real; hypocracy.

Why don't we ever scream out loud for wild animals. Ones that really don't have a voice. Ones brutally butchered by snares, and ranchers, and crowded out by civilization. Who's cruel? All of us. Just look around and get involved. You think your stupid cat should wander the neighborhood because it has rights. Well what about the thousands of wild birds that cats destroy each year? wow boy , you can really help a poor dog, one of f-ing billions, by signing a stupid petition.

Well, how about finding something even more difficult to get involved in. Like George Bush's lack of responsibility with global warming that is killing off Polar Bears? Yes, that's just too much for you all though.

I highly doubt that this animal was CRUELLY starved to death, and if it did die, well just wait about a week. Human nature is fickle and will just forget about it soon enough. You can count on that. And that's the brilliant artists point, you knee jerk jack-asses.

art! absolutely brilliant!!

See, I can't tell you if this dog was fed after hours, or anything of that nature, because there is no real fact on it.

However, I can say that for people to just walk by it, is ridiculous. I don't know about the rest of human nature, but I have always taken care of the animals in my neiborhood.

So nobody can say I'd ignore starving dogs on the street. And, I really don't know how anyone else could choose to ignore this exhibit, just walking by not noticing the poor dog dying of starvation.

This isn't an effective way for the artist to make his point. It's outrageous that he has been offered to do this again. I hope this petition stops him from repeating the cruelty.

It's one thing to starve a dog in the name of art once. It is quite another to repeat it, killing another dog. If his intention was not to harm the dog, then he would leave it at one and only one exhibition. Instead of possibly staving a second innocent dog.

while we don't know for sure if the dog died in the gallery or in fact escaped, it is not true that everyone would ignore the dog if it were seen in the streets instead of the gallery...

I can honestly say that as an animal lover i would take notice to a sick, starving dog in the streets and try to help it...

Ok, now I feel I have to sound off. Justifying this cruelty by saying that the dog was going to die anyways is blind ignorance. THIS ACT WAS CRUEL BECAUSE THE DOGS WILL WAS TAKEN FROM HIM.

I can almost understand the statement he was trying to make but in the way he made it was cruel and simply put animal abuse, the same statement could have been made with a photograph of the dog or even a painting of the dog in the streets, it didn’t have to be made by tying up the dog and taunting the dog by writing messages on the wall in dog food. If the dog was in such a state that he would not have ate even if food was put under his nose the humane thing to do would have been to take the dog to an animal clinic not tie him to a wall.

To recognize this act as art and to publicly recognize this man as a respectable artist by asking him to repeat this act in a world recognized exhibit is saying to the world that animal cruelty is accepted if it making a point, THIS IS WRONG ANIMAL ABUSE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE IN ANY FORM.

I have a question to the artist, YOU WERE TRYING TO MAKE A POINT BUT WHAT DID YOU DO BEYOND STANDING BACK WHILE THIS POOR DOG DIED?

Now, we must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men. – “Boondock Saints” There are people out there that want to stop animal abuse, there are people that make a difference by volunteering there time at the local humane society or ASPCA.

There are those who donate their money to spay and neuter stray animals, and who take a stray into their homes and feed them, give them medical attention, and love them, and I’m willing to bet it is those people that look at this and can’t understand how this is considered art and can not understand how someone can look at this and not physically remove that dog from that wall and take it to the nearest vet.

That’s what I would have done if I was standing in that room, that dog would not have died a painful death by starvation.

This act can’t be repeated.

i completely see why you are all mad. but then again did you know that this was happening before the artist did this. did you know there where thousands of other dogs dying in the streets each day just like this one maby they get a little scrap of bread or somthing.

But sooner or layter they would die. I am not saying do not be mad at the artist i am saying look at the message he is sending. animal starvation does not only happen there it happens across the world. yes it is sick to flant the dogs misurable death.

But it is even sicker that all of thoes people went to see the show and dident even try to save the animal. They knew that the dog would die just from its appearance. i believe that yes it is wrong what happened. but i would like to see some of his history or what his interests are.

I bet he did the reserch and found all of these people purly writing and saying save the animals. but i bet afteer seeing this and rweading about this people will take an extra second to feed a huyngry animal. someone please tell me in wrong.

WOW...shame on anyone who had anything to do with the torture and torment of God creature. It is repulsive to me that a) this "artist" felt a need to torture this poor puppy to make his point and b) that the point was clearly not made as passerbys paid no attention to the poor dog's plight. What is the next "art piece?"... to take a homeless person and tie him/her up out of reach of food and water. Or maybe a starving child. Good Lord. Shame on all of you who stood by and did nothing to help this creature.

My 1st reaction was he should burn in hell, that he is the world's most ghastly monster since Mengele. But really, HOW many people walked past the starving dog and did nothing? What, or who, is the real "spectacle" here? Who knows, perhaps the 2008 will be a film of all the visitors to the art gallery walking past the dog, perhaps enthralled or disgusted or disturbed, but every last one turning their back on an unspeakable atrocity. Shame.

this whole thing is ridiculous, so much time has been spent debating something so inconclusive. how's about instead of spending so much time writing about something none of us actually know the truth about, going and doing something good like adopting an animal from a local shelter or helping out or something. I agree with you max, what an awesome way to open people's eyes....and get people talking, this thing has gone everywhere...isn't it amazing how stuff spreads so quickly?

@dmppdks (and everyone else who think like him/her) Are you going to die one day?

Why don't you starve yourself to death and then call it that an art!? "The presentation of life itself....".

This is a barbaric - and the the thing that disgust me more the the "artist" himself are the people that went to see the "art" performace. If that were their children, whould they watch without emotions? Shame on them.

Killing any being cannot and must not EVER be called art! What if someone decide one day that killing a human being (or, why not beingS) could be art!?

Senseless and shameful. This crazy so called "artist" is not helping any cause. There is no excuse.

At least a stranded dog can try to survive and not die tied up.

If that dog in that exhibition was really dying at least I would have gotten a veterinarian to take a look and if nothing could be done let him die in a humane way.

I wanna know the name of that museum in Managua so I can boycott that museum as well.

Maybe the dog was a stray. Maybe it was scavenging for food and drinking rainwater, but at least it had a chance of survival, and a chance of meeting someone with kindness in their heart.

Man was given dominion over the beasts for good purposes. This man makes a mockery of that dominion.

how sad that an artists feels that he has to use a living creature as a piece of art to highlight cruelty. There are other ways that this could have been done just as effectively without using a live animal, leaving it to suffer such an appauling death in the name of art.

I do not understand why none of the paying customers to the gallery did nothing to stop this or why the gallery itself feels that a repeat performance is absolutely necessary.

A very sad day for humanity. I feel absolutely ashamed that this creature was not a least offered a little kindness by those that witnessed its suffering.

Those who are trying to rationalize the "artist"'s point to make yourself sound more educated than others, you are a big-time hypocrite.

< Hey Katz, Guillermo Gomez-Pen and Coco Fusco's piece and this so-called "artist"'s (I don't even want to type his name down) piece are totally different. Fusco and others had a choice, the dog did not. Fusco is trying to deal with colonialism issue by putting themselves in a cage where the fucker is trying to deal with an animal cruelty issue by conducting an animal cruelty.

Do you get it? his point is full of contradictions.

anybody who is trying to support his corrupt argument, you need to do something with your brain that is disintegrating because it has been dipped in the snobby art world too much.

i am an artist, am just finishing my art degree, and i do experience a lot of bullshit going on in the art scenes, but this is not just disturbing and inhumane, but also incredibly unsuccessful as an "art piece" (if you would like to call it an art). so do not even try to defense his crap. this is also an insult to the whole art scene as well as an act of insanity.

either the dog was going to die or not it was an unthoughtfull insane action.. if this "artist" says he just wanted to show people about the animals that starve everyday and die it was a really wrong way..

refering to the artist you dont deserve to be called an artist. you are an assault to all artists and to humanity too.. same on you.. even if you wont be punished by the law you will find it in your karma.. god will punish you eventually for that.. and for the people that say we must think before we talk and things like that you are either him either his friends(if he has any) either the have the same black souls. stop the propaganda. people are not stupid.

If you save a dog, he or she gives you such gratitude, and the this dog gives you back so much more than you could possibly give..I don't know why God allows such cruelty, but perhaps those people who are so cruel, come back to suffer such torments.. one can only hope so.. and that man in the gallery, I cant call him an artist must be so untalented to have to do that to get notice.. All the great artists loved animals, Van Gogh gave his last bit of money to feed a starving dog..

Think.

You think for yourself…good for you. Good start there.

The difference between you and me is that i do not go with the mass. before you put your signature on ANYTHING, or decide to take sides and accuse someone publicly of something, DO SOME RESEARCH. DID YOU ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS THING WITH THE DOG? OF COURSE LIKE THE MASS YOU JUST TOOK WHAT EVERYONE ELSE SAID, AND BELIEVED THE RUMORS. THINK.

The difference between who and you? I for one did ask questions about ‘the thing with the dog’ I asked myself: Why would do people abuse animals and what kind of sick excuse for a human would even entertain the idea of abusing an animal for the purpose of art and do so in public?
And to what “rumours” do you refer? I didn’t have to do a great deal of research to see this story all over the mainstream news.

THE INTERENT IS GOOD FOR INFORMING, BUT IDIOTS ACT AND SPEAK BEFORE THINKING. ALL I SEE IS EVERYONE OPENING THEIR MOUTH & CRITICISING & CURSING THIS DUDE WHO CALLS HIMSELF AN ARTIST. GRANTED, HE IS NOT A VERY GOOD ARTIST. but...

I think the CAPS lock key may be stuck on your keyboard. The Keyboard that you’re sat behind flaming people on the “interent” who speak out on an issue that they feel strongly about. Any way you cut it…what the “artist” did was intrinsically WRONG and can never be justified to anyone with an ounce of compassion in their body.

THINK: -was the artist's intention to kill the dog?

-was the dog already going to die, & nothing could be done for it?
-how long was it on display? Dogs out in the wild can go without food for days.
-Is there any concrete proof that the artist did not feed the dog?
-How do you know it was not fed when the gallery closed, and this was not just for the show, in order to speak about animal cruelty?
-dio you have proof that the dog died, and that it wasn't released, and the rumour was started to create upheaval which later went out of hand?
How on earth can you write this?!
The Dog didn’t choose death in any way!? It didn’t ask to be displayed to the equally sick people who walked away. “Nothing could be done for it?” It doesn’t matter if the dog was going top die or not. The artist/anyone should have recognised the plight and just saved it’s life. Instead of which it was displayed in an even crueller environment than the streets from which it was taken and MURDERED.

As for proof…I doubt very much that you are in a position to PROVE that the animal WAS fed/released. Regardless…an act of cruelty was taking place.

-Consider the message he wanted to say: Over the dog on the wall of the gallery he had written "You Are What You Read", and it was written with dog food. Yes, dog food. YES HE MEANT THAT WE THE READERS ARE WORTHLESS DOG FOOD, FOOD FOR THE POOR STARVING DOG AND OTHER DOGS, WHICH ARE STARVING IN THE STREETS UNNOTICED, or that in other words, we can provide the food and shelter these animals need. educate your dumb brain to understand symnbols and metaphors.

-Before putting up a show artists write an artist statement. Did you read it?
-what was the artist's intention?
-did you ask any of these questions?
-did you think that perhaps he wanted to talk about the VERY serious problem of stray animals and especially dogs in his country?
-What do stray dogs symbolize in a society?
-is society apathetic, or the artist?
-did you think before you acted or opened your mouth or used your dumb ten fingers to type something on the interent?

I’m not even going to dignify this passage with a detailed breakdown of your analysis of an artists brain. “Dumb?”

Why don’t you take your head out of your ass and educate YOUR brain!? Fuck Artsistic intention, symbolism, apathy (!?!?!) What about the fact that we’re speaking of CRUELTY. An animals life is no-less worthy than that of a human in the eyes of compassionate people who believe that CRUELTY to animals (in the name of science, medicine, cosmetics, ART or any other so-called benefit to our species) IS WRONG.

Maybe you should learn to THINK, spell and “belong” to something before you contradict yourself further by ranting and and letting the internet dominate your existence.

Your rants seem to be that of a bitter person who has no vested interest in anyone or anything but themselves.

You’ve only wasted your time and a bit of mine with your rhetoric that I was unfortunate enough to take offence to. Because the majority of posters will just go with the “masses” and won’t “think” and be “lemmings” Won’t they eh?

THINK before YOU type.

Obviously this idiot has failed at everything else in his life and thought this might lift his status. How wrong can you be. Perhaps one day soon someone will tie him up and leave him to starve or someone close to him? lets see how he feels about art then.

I wish you lived in my country. I'd find out where you live...

Just a thought, the people that actually went to see this poor animal, why did they not do anything? Pair of scissors springs to mind!! If not to set the dog free to stab the people involved. ...sick sick sick...animal rights, where the heck are you all!!!

May be we should do the same to him and ask him if he would like that.

This is the most discusting art. Even more disgusting as that the people take notice of the poor dog and did not do anything. If it happend close to me I would have do anything in my power to help.

I will tie the artist to very short rope to the wall of an art gallery in Managua and left it there for several days, without food or water, until the monster died.

U prick, if U attempt this again, U are worst than an animal.Insane.wanna hunt U down a make U pay. Animal Kingdom rules..Stop it or we will.Wish U a pack of wolfs.

If the dog was arleady sick and likely to die, I would take it to a vet and seek to either cure it of its disease or perform euthanasia to end its suffering. OK it would be only one dog in the millions that starve to death in the streets of busy cities all around the world, but would you use the same arguement about the millions of suffering and starving people, if you had a chance save a human being or relieve them from their pain?

What Vargas did was not art, was an act of sensational exhibitionism; this is not a way of sensitizing people about the suffering of animals.

We live in the days where the word art cloacks and justifies any kind of perverted idea. I am totaly against the use and exposure of any living creature as objects of art, except for the artists themselves who can suffer, if they so choose, in their own hands and their hands alone. I still don't feel attracted to this idea of art, however.

Art is the representation of life, beautiful or cruel and unjust as it may be. It is and cannot be the enactment or reproduction of suffering and cruelty in the real.

First of all, I have to say that I am against animal cruelty.

Who says that this article is true? I've read dozen of articles saying that the animal died in the gallery, and other articles saying that the dog escaped; unharmed and fed. Either way, I like the whole concept of the exhibit. It opens the possibility of dialog.

STOP BELIEVING EVERYTHING YOU READ ON THE INTERNET. I have yet to see a reliable source of facts anywhere.

Anyways, thousands of stray dogs are left to die in South America, simply because they are everywhere.

I'm not saying that it gives the right for a person to torture an animal. Open your mind and be wary of what you read on the internet.

Peace

Think.

The difference between you and me is that i do not go with the mass. before you put your signature on ANYTHING, or decide to take sides and accuse someone publicly of something, DO SOME RESEARCH. DID YOU ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS THING WITH THE DOG? OF COURSE LIKE THE MASS YOU JUST TOOK WHAT EVERYONE ELSE SAID, AND BELIEVED THE RUMORS. THINK.

THE INTERENT IS GOOD FOR INFORMING, BUT IDIOTS ACT AND SPEAK BEFORE THINKING. ALL I SEE IS EVERYONE OPENING THEIR MOUTH & CRITICISING & CURSING THIS DUDE WHO CALLS HIMSELF AN ARTIST. GRANTED, HE IS NOT A VERY GOOD ARTIST. but...

THINK: -was the artist's intention to kill the dog?
-was the dog already going to die, & nothing could be done for it?
-how long was it on display? Dogs out in the wild can go without food for days.
-Is there any concrete proof that the artist did not feed the dog?
-How do you know it was not fed when the gallery closed, and this was not just for the show, in order to speak about animal cruelty?
-dio you have proof that the dog died, and that it wasn't released, and the rumour was started to create upheaval which later went out of hand?
-Consider the message he wanted to say: Over the dog on the wall of the gallery he had written "You Are What You Read", and it was written with dog food. Yes, dog food. YES HE MEANT THAT WE THE READERS ARE WORTHLESS DOG FOOD, FOOD FOR THE POOR STARVING DOG AND OTHER DOGS, WHICH ARE STARVING IN THE STREETS UNNOTICED, or that in other words, we can provide the food and shelter these animals need. educate your dumb brain to understand symnbols and metaphors.
-Before putting up a show artists write an artist statement. Did you read it?
-what was the artist's intention?
-did you ask any of these questions?
-did you think that perhaps he wanted to talk about the VERY serious problem of stray animals and especially dogs in his country?
-What do stray dogs symbolize in a society?
-is society apathetic, or the artist?
-did you think before you acted or opened your mouth or used your dumb ten fingers to type something on the interent?

PEOPLE ARE VERY EAGER TO JOIN SOMEWHERE JUST SO THEY CAN BELONG SOMEWHERE, AND THEY DON'T THINK ABOUT THE SOMWEHERE OR THEY WHY.

THEY JUST BELIEVE IN A CAUSE AND THEN FOLLOW IT BLINDLY. BLINDLY. FANATICALLY.

USE LOGIC IN EVERYTHING YOU DO.

FIND OUT WHAT A LEMMING IS. THEN CALL YOURSELF ONE. DO IT NOW. GO ON THE INTERNET AND TYPE "LEMMING" IN GOOGLE. NOW THAT YOU REALIZED WHAT YOU ARE, DO SOME RESEARCH BEFORE ACTING OR SPEAKING, OR ACCUSING OR JOINING A CAUSE TO DESTROY SOMEONE'S CAREER, WHEN THE VERY PURPOSE OF THE ARTIST WAS TO FIGHT FOR EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE ARGUING ABOUT AS WELL.

BUT UNLESS SOMEONE PROVIDES SOME FACTS INSTEAD OF RECEYCLING ANGER & JUSTIFYING IT WITH ANGER, YOU SHOULD NOT BE CONVINCED.

THINK AGAIN:
was the artist's intention to kill the dog?

BEFORE YOU DISCARD THIS: READ WHAT THE ARTIST SAID AFTER THE SHOW:
"My name is Guillermo Habacuc Vargas. I am 50 years old and an artist. Recently, I have been critisized for my work titled "Eres lo que lees", which features a dog named Nativity. The purpose of the work was not to cause any type of infliction on the poor, innocent creature, but rather to illustrate a point. In my home city of San Jose, Costa Rica, tens of thousands of stray dogs starve and die of illness each year in the streets and no one pays them a second thought. Now, if you publicly display one of these starving creatures, such as the case with Nativity, it creates a backlash that brings out a big of hypocrisy in all of us. Nativity was a very sick creature and would have died in the streets anyway."

THESE ARE THE WORDS OF THE ARTIST. NATIVITY WAS THE DOG'S NAME. IT WAS SICK AND IT WAS GOING TO DIE.

ELSEWHERE HE SAYS:
"I knew the dog died on the following day from lack of food. During the inauguration, I knew that the dog was persecuted in the evening between the houses of aluminum and cardboard in a district of Managua. 5 children who helped to capture the dog received 10 bonds of córdobas for their assistance. The name of the dog was Natividad, and I let him die of hunger in the sight of everyone, as if the death of a poor dog was a shameless media show in which nobody does anything but to applaud or to watch disturbed. In the place that the dog was exposed remain a metal cable and a cord. The dog was extremely ill and did not want to eat, so in natural surroundings it would have died anyway; thus they are all poor stray dogs: sooner or later they die or are killed.

If people care about a dog in a gallery, why don't they care about a dog in the strees?

AREN'T PEOPLE ASHAMED AND ENRAGED AS MUCH WHEN SEEING A DOG DIE IN THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD IN THE 'GALLERY' OF EVERYDAY LIFE? INSTEAD OF DYING IN THE STREET, THE DOG DIED IN A FANCY BUILDING WHERE FAT LADIES WITH BIG FAT POCKETS GO AND BUY EXPENSIVE ART.. AND NEVER CARE ABOUT THE DOGS OUTSIDE...BUT THEY CARE ABOUT THE ONE DOG INSIDE...

SO INSTEAD OF EVERYONE TAKING THE BLAME AND RECOGNIZING THEIR FAULT FOR THE CONDITION OF THE STREETS WITH STRAY ANIMALS, BECAUSE EVERYONE COULD DO THEIR PART... THEY ARE NOW DOING THEIR PART, BY CONVENIENTLY AND EASILY TYPING SOME JUNK AND ANGER AND ACCUSATIONS AND CONDEMNATIONS JUST TO PRETEND THEY CARE ABOUT STRAY ANIMALS.

THE ARTIST ISN'T THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM! WE, OUR VERY SELVES ARE AT THE ROOT, EVERY ONE OF US COLLECTIVELY! WE ARE AT FAULT FOR WHY THE DOG DIE, AND WHY ANOTHER FEW THOUSAND WILL CONTINUE TO DIE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

FEED A DOG WITH DOG FOOD. SHUT UP. GET YOUR ASS OFF THE COPMUTER CHAIR. GET OFF THE INTERNET. AND START USING YOUR BRAIN. PLEASE

EVERYONE WANTS TO BELONG TO A GROUP, AND EVERYONE WANTS TO SAVE THE WORLD, BECAUSE THEY HAVE VERY BORING JOBS AND FEEL VERY USELESS, SO THEY SIGN WHATEVER PETITION COMES THEIR WAY WITHOUT THINKING OF THE CONSEQUENCES.. THE PROBLEM IS THAT EVERY UNIVERSITY KID, OR 45-YEAR-OLD WORKER WHO SITS ALL DAY IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER, AND WANTS TO PRETEND THAT HE OR SHE IS AN ACTIVIST AND SEEM 'THENTHITIVE', ('THENTHITIVE'-->'SENSITIVE', FOR YOU IDIOTS), TO THE WORLD'S ISSUES, POPS LIKE A MUSHROOM UNDER A TREE AND SPEAKS THE REGURGITATED SNUFF OF ACCUSATIONS THAT HE OR SHE HEARD FROM THE OTHER SMURFETTE NEXT TO HIM OR HER.

ask questions before labeling someone or an event. DO IT.
-does this artist have any previous history of doing similar things, OR BEING CRUEL TO ANUMALS?

-why was he awarded the Biennale prize? ASK WHY? FIND OUT!!! SPECIFICALLY. NO B.S.

-HAS HE HELPED ANIMALS AT TIMES IN THE PAST?

STOP BEING PART OF THE MASS. PUT A SOCK IN YOUR MOUTH ALL OF YOU. DO SOME RESEARCH BEFORE YOU USE YOUR FINGERS TO TYPE OR USE YOUR MOUTH TO SPEAK. ASK QUESTIONS. STOP BEING A PART OF THE MASS.

STOP BEING A PART OF THE MASS WHICH ACTS WITHOUT THINKING

THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK (?)

you are very sick in the head!

I hope this "artist" and anyone associated with this exhibit or attended this exhibit goes to HELL!

If this artist wants to make a statement about starving dogs in Latin America, this is not an effective way to do so. The ensuing controversy clouds the intent. What a jerk. Why not take a starving dog, feed him every day, and film/photograph the animal's transformation into a healthy creature? It would be much more effective, humane and even fun. And it would be no less "art" than starving an animal is. If he wants to add some drama, while the animal is getting healthy, he ought to starve himself until he dies, to illustrate the juxtaposition.

As stated above no one would have noticed if the dog were on the street, but because it was in a gallery suddenly it is animal cruelty. I do not agree with the way that the artist went about showing this problem, because even if the dog were starving outside, dogs are incredibly good at scavenging for food, this animal was not able to do so within the gallery space. But I do like how all the people in the gallery never took the food to the dog, yet they are outraged that the dog was dieing... DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT ... dont stand around and stare. I think the artists intent was to show that we as humans and the dog as an animal have the ability to made a difference, thus he provided food. However, I do not think that this should be repeated it does send the wrong message that the artist should not want to send. Overall a good message.

I say, be very careful when condemning an artist. He only tries to wake our minds from being blind. WE LET NATIONS IN AFRICA AND ALL OVER THE "WORLD" DIE LIKE THIS AND ALL WE CARE ABOUT IS OUR PET. Wake up people and see that in other places die and none of you cares half of what you care about this poor dog.

I wish Vargas dies EXACTLY the same way the poor dog died: tied up with NO FOOD & NO WATER until his FILTHY-BLACK SOUL comes out & returns to HELL where it belongs. This is both a WISH & a CURSE FROM millions of people FOR YOU, "Mr." Vargas!

Next time Vargas should tie himself with a rope and let himself die of thirst and starvation. He will give his point out and when he dies he will also do the world a favor.

jesus there is no proof that he was feeding it after hours.. thats why there is such an outrage bcos it is believed that the dog died.. as it was not fed at all...

My initial judgement of this artist was that he was a sadist and incredibly sick. Upon reading what other people are saying and researching the artist and what he has done, I have realised that he has, in fact, shown us all a valuable fact of life. This artist has proven that as humans, we do not care for anything unless it is put right in front of our faces.

If we were walking down the street and saw the same dog, the majority, including myself, of people would just walk past it. But the fact it was in an exhibition seems to change everything. Why is that? It is reported that there was a pot of dog food in reach of people who were visiting the exhibition, but not in reach of the dog. Why is it that no one reached out, took some food, and fed the dog. I do not think that the actions of the artist had anything to do with the dog. In fact, it had to do with society and how we react.

Instead of initially judging someone or something, perhaps we should look into it a bit more and research what the artist was trying to portray. More often than not, art has a hidden meaning and it can not be taken at face value.

A similar thing are two artists, Guillermo Gomez-Pena and Coco Fusco who locked themselves in a cage pretending to be from an African tribe, and people from all over came to laugh and poke at these caged humans. It is no different. If the dog which was supposedly left with no food, at least he is being treated with respect after hours, which is more than what would have happened if he was left on the streets.

So all of you that are wishing this artist death threats, maybe you should look at how you would have reacted. He is showing you that it is in our nature to act when it's too late. We need to be proactive and dying animals, or dying people before they're dead on the streets. And perhaps we shuld look at the person who abandoned this dog in the first place?! Anyone think of that?!

it would be nice to find out the facts before we start asking for blood and name calling. who are the real monsters? at least he brought a topic that no one gave a shit about to the forefront, and even then people are not paying attention to it !! how truly sad. i think it should be repeated if he fed the dog after hours atleast the dog is getting fed!! let people freak out and write nasty death threats at least the dog is getting taken care of better than he would be in the street.

If the true purpose of your performance was to expose certain aspects of humanity that definitely need attention then you have succeeded. You have shown that really we humans have no agency.

That we have no confidence in our selves and judgements. At an absolutely horrible and unjust expense, you have exposed some huge problems of human kind. However, by repeating this performance you will surely be defeating the purpose of it.

It must never be repeated as repetition is part of the problem that has made humans so insecure. Consider what you are trying to say before you accept publicity's temptation.

This art exhibit is what's wrong with the world.

So, with his 'mentality' should someone bring a sick and starving child from Somalia and leave them to die in an exhibition?? It's such a loose and quite frankly pathetic justification for pure cruelty. Sure, the human race is probably its own bigge

MONSTERRRRRRR!!!!!

NO VAMOS A TOLERAR QUE SE TORTURE ANIMALES, QUE LOS ASESINEN EN NOMBRE DEL ARTE POR QUE ESO QUE HA HECHO NO ES ARTE. ESPERO QUE SE DE CUENTA PRONTO, NO ES ARTE....

It is cruel and inhuman. Did you have to kill an innocent dog to teach others that killing is wrong? More likely Mr. Vergas is an untalented individual who was looking to shock the world to get some attention. Please, do not let this indivual in any