I think some people have no heart at all... They must be crazy...Why isn't there anyone to do something about it? Forbid it, give a fine, send him to jail...??? In some countries there are heavy penalties for doing such things. Sometimes I feel we're in the prehistoric era, really...

I agree. honestly, I would like to say as an artist myself i find this man totally idiotic and am very surprised no one did any thing to stop him. how you you left this poor animal suffer , and especially infront of all these on lookers! Shame to every person who went to this show and did nothing. Shame to the artist himself for starving that animal to death. If you wanted to prove how tough live is for these dogs then show images of ones on the street, don't kill one. You are not helping your cause, but only making it worse. The only bad part is he is only drawing more attention to his show! for god sake people please do not go to his show unless u intend to free the animal!

in the prehistoric era, man had no galleries.

anyway, i kinda agree with what the artist feels about the dog's life (and how it can be a stark parallel to the lives of many humans:- http://www.fh.org/)

it is true that it will die in the next few days - possibly in even more gruesome manners - and those few days in the gallery can arguably be less meaningless since others will get to see the dog and know of its existence before it dies.

it is true that the dog - as a piece of art - can send a louder message to the world (of humans) than it can as an unknown animal dying in the slums. in fact, the negative publicity so far generated has also made the artist (in)famous.

but the difference is that the dog did not "choose" to do this. it was forced into captivity. it was forced to die in a gallery - instead of fighting freely and dying with freedom on the streets. it became a spectacle - even after it has passed the message it symbolises to the world. the dog's cruel death may have given the message greater coverage - but at a cost much too high! the dog's "dignity" was usurped, and the artist's morality was compromised - along with the public's image of Art on the whole.

at this point, while mourning the unknown stray dog, i mourn for the world as well - which remains detached, at times hypocritically condemning the dog's abusers, at times lamenting the fate of mankid - which, despite the mass media, is only moved to action by tragedy.

can we appreciate our existence if it were not fraught with such horrifying deeds?

People seems to miss the point. While I do not condone the exhibit and would be throwing food to the dog if I was there (if the dog would eat it is another question), but look at the reaction this man has caused. It has happened and I will try to look at the only positives that could come from this torture. Perhaps this exhibit will cause people to think about the way they live their lives and they will be more compassionate. The anger this has caused is good because it is making people think. This dog may be a Christ-like figure for some (I am an agnostic just for the record) and perhaps its death will be something that will ultimately help the world. How many of these people throwing a fit about this incident are really more humane or kind than this artist? How much hipocrisy is invovled with this reaction? It is sad that it takes something so cruel like this to make people react and think. My anger lies not with the artist but with society. Blame yourselves, not the artist.

I'm replying to alveolate's comment. Just because the dog would've died by an illness or it would've been killed doesn't make it right for the artist to starve it in plain sight. You're not giving the dog a chance to even have a chance at living, you can assume that the dog is going to die from that but that's just an opinion that's not a fact. So you're saying if someone has cancer and they live in a poor part of the city it's ok to chain up that person and show it in front of everyone how weak someone is when they're dealing with an illness? I get the artist's idea, it would've been different if he would've documented the dog, showing films of him slowly dying. Rather have him chained up, barely feeding him so where he's still starving to death in front of people. Pathetic, if this man calls this art then he has no talent for anything else.

Horrible! Is there no police in this country? Why they let this f..... man torture the poor dog! I condemn this crazy, f.....man who call himself artist! The police should punish this man! I didn't understand how they let him do this freely? Is there no law against torture, cruelty to animals? Where are the police? Where are the animal activists?

m�jde from Ankara Turkey

Why hasnt somoene just gone in there and set the dog free, surely they would have the law on their side, speaking of which do they not have an Animal Protection Scoiety out there?

You people are idiots. Research this. The dog did not die. Was fed, just thin. Do a little research before you judge. The point of the exhibit was to show that a stray hungry dog would be the center of attention in an "art Exhibit," but these same people would ignore it on the street. The dog did not die. It was well fed and cared for.

would this so-called "artist" be willing to be tied to a post while i beat him with a metal bar?

im sure it would attract more people!!!!!!

I know I'd happily watch you do it

I hope this artist is left to starve along with everyone who let this go on.

Absolutely disgusting.

This makes me so sad t osee that some people have to go to such great lengths to demonstate the fragility of life. I erckon I am going to join Mr Wayne D PLant and show "the artist" just how fragile his life is.

I spit in his direction.

While this art exhibition is unquestionably abhorrantly cruel and sadisitic, I find it remarkable that a story such as this instigates such a widespread public outcry and countless calls to punish and physically hurt the "artist" in question when there are many animals-- human beings being among them-- who still are alive and for whom there is still time for us to act. While this is certainly a terrible and sad sign of our times, does it not make it that much more evident there are basic principles in our lives we should dissect and question? What is one starving dog when compared to the thousands of dogs, cats, elephants, human beings, who die along with him just as unjustly.

I get your point - however, this was an intentional act meant to entertain the public at the animal's expense. The intentional and public nature of this is a spit in the fact of those that value life. The references of suffering that others face, both animal and human, is 'most often' not intentional and an act of malice on display as entertainment. I agree both are terrible... this is a different catagory.

This sick man should be tied to a wall and left to die. What makes him think he has the right to do this to a helpless animal?

What makes you think that anyone has the right to do that to a helpless human?

i think the idiotic maniac and all the viewers of this exhibition should be prosecuted. this is animal cruelty... I hope karma comes right back and these ppl are forced to die slowly just as they have done to this poor animal.

I preclude this response with a warning, I do not agree with the steps taken by the artist. However, the reactions that he is receiving are exactly as planned. That is, the shock and anger that this poor animal had to suffer through while many watched with ambivalence. He is rejuvenating this compassion for the downtrodden and fury at those who look to take advantage of them by instigating the situation in a close to death, helpless animal. The point was raised in reflecting this in writing, but the effect is neither as intense or as widespread as the act he took. I do not mean to give praise to the artist, only to push along his inquiry, who are you really mad at - and what was the artist trying to say?

It doesn't matter what he was trying to say, the fact that he caused the death of an innocent animal makes whatever "point" he had in mind completely null.

And let's put it into perspective. There are starving children in the world. Are people capturing them and tying them up and watching them starve and calling it "art"? If someone did that, would the onlookers have done nothing, as they did with the dog? NO. Because we value human life above all others, which will eventually be our downfall.

Besides the complete perverseness of this man's actions, to call him an "artist" is an insult to every person on the planet with creative talent. He did absolutely nothing artistic in any way, shape or form. He paid kids to catch the dog, so it's not like he did it in the first place, and then he just tied it up and left it there. I could do that too, except I'm not even close to being as messed up as he is.

You ask "what was the artist trying to say?" My question is, how could anyone possibly consider this art? He needs to be stopped.

Joseph,

Albeit, this so called "artist" has generated dialogue.....I wonder though, why is he repeating his so called artistic endeavour. And many may perceive him as a person that enlightened us all on the downtrodden plight of the helpless (animal, human....whatever), but I see him as a heartless individual that has taken a creature that couldn't say no and tied it to a wall against it's will.

Where is the dignity in this death??? Could Guillermo not have thought of any other means of expressing the plight of the helpless??? Perhaps a photographic montage of the starved helpless children, dogs, the homeless....etc. I think the true answer is........he doesn't really care......he's heartless. He doesn't know what it is to focus on the injustices of the world because I know this man isn't the type to be out there volunteering at homeless shelters, soup kitchen, animal shelters.....he's not giving a hand up.....he's hoping to be rich and famous, and he doesn't care how many dogs he has to tie up to walls.....If anyone out there has an ounce of humanity. Write to the shows organizers and let them know how ugly this whole thing is, and how truely humanitarian people behave. With Dignity, Grace and Understanding.

If the artist really wanted to prove a point then why not prove a positive one. Why not instead of torturing the poor innocent dog why not show the world that our society is not so bad by nurturing the dog back to health. Why does society think that the only way we can make an impact is by being negative. This sickens me to think what a horrible place this world has become. Why violence? Why not lending out a helping hand? To me if he where to show the public that he took a sickly dog from the streets and did everything he could do to help it, even if the dog dies anyways, it would have made a bigger impact than just letting it die because it shows that there are still people out there with hearts. And I don't believe that anybody should hurt this artist because that would make us just like him. He will get his karma one day just wait and see. He is a sick demented man and so are the people who allowed this to happen. It truely saddens me to see that this is what our world has become...... The ignorance of some humans......

This article left out the most disgusting part. On his blog, there are pictures of a wall on which he wrote "you are what you read" in dog food.

I agree with Amittaz, though. People should focus on a cause for which there is more hope, but less publicity. Personally, I think helping that dog would have been a work of art, and that anyone who feels strongly enough to sign that petition should go out and volunteer at an animal shelter or adopt a dog of their own.

i think that his so called "reason" for letting the animal die is nothing but an excuse. what he did is simply not right! how could ANYONE do that to a poor helpless animal. this guy is seriously sick in the head.

you know, i understand when coming frm south america that we see dogs die on the streets like this everyday. . . Thousands of them. Everyone knows, there.
It'd be art if he painted them, it'd be understandable if he wrote about it.. But lettign the poor animal die at a freaking gallery tied to a wall like that!?!?
This man is sick. I wish he was tied to a wall for a while to see what happens -_-;
Grr.

Ok so this is messed up. But if you look back at all art at one point it was all controversial. Did you guys ever stop to think about what this artist was trying to get across? Maybe this is exactly the reaction he wanted from his audience, and i call u his audience because you have all been affected by this, What was he trying to say? that humanity has gotten to the point where the only reason we care about dead is in torture situation. how many of you can honestly say that if u came across that animal on the street you would feed it or give it shelter? the only reason you are mad is not because he was starving this dog in a place where hundreds of people could have easily said this is messed up and fed it or gave it water because that could easily be done with a stray as well, no what you are mad at is the fact that he has shown you your flaws as a human because you know you wouldn't have fed it and it would have starved to death regardless.

no, its not our flaws that piss us off. i know my flaws.
this man was doing a cruel thing by tying this dog up. if he had let this dog stay on the streets and die with some level of dignity and maybe taken pictures of the dying dog, then not nearly as many people would have complained. if you think that tying up a sick, dying animal in front of where hundreds of people could see it is o.k. then you are just as bad as this "artist"

I agree with Benjamin, it's not myself that I'm mad at, it's definately the "artist". I am also having a hard time believing that onlookers didn't try to give the dog food or water, is it possible that they were stopped or were they really that ambivalent? In any case, what angers me more than anything, other than that this so-called "exhibit" won this jerkoff first prize, is that he's GOING to do it again in Honduras. It's not like he's going to show a video of it happening the first time, he's going to pay some more little kids to capture another helpless stray, tie it to a wall an make a mockery of it that will eventually lead to its untimely death. Does anyone deserve that? Does anything deserve that? And for what? This reaction, this public uproar that his "art" has created. Half the world now knows this virtual stranger's name, so what's to stop him from continuing on?

There's a hilarious movie out called "Murder Party" where a bunch of so-called "artisits" send out invitations to a "Murder Party" and then are supposed to kill the attendees. I liken his "art" to theirs. It is a cheap, sadistic ploy to get his name in the history books, and nothing more. There was no artistic contribution on his part, any idiot with a hot glue gun can spell things out in dog food on the wall. His only real contribution to the entire proceedings was supplying the space. This man doesn't deserve fame or even these very comments we're supplying, and yes I realize that I'm saying that as I'm typing one. He is a lowly, common, attention-starved little boy in a man-body. Just because mommy and daddy didn't love him enough is no reason to harm a helpless animal.

I can honestly say If I came across that dog on the street, I would have tried to help it,

I AM A TRUE ANIMAL LOVER AND WOULD HATE TO SEE SOME ASSHOLE DO THAT TO A POOR DOG. I HAVE FOUND HOMES FOR DOGS IN NEED, WHAT MAKES HIM NOT DO THAT IS THE HUNGER FOR FAME... NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF RECOGNITION THE ASSHOLE GETS HE WILL GET IT AT ALL COSTS... EVEN IF ITS KILLING A POOR DEFENSELESS ANIMAL... I SAY HE GETS CASTRATED IN PUBLIC WITH MEDIA ALL AROUND... NOW THAT WOULD BE A SHOW...

This concept of art is disgusting, his cheese has obviously slipped of his cracker. thank God the universe takes care of itsel. When he is called to explain his actions I hope justice is served. As another reader stated, let's tie him to a pole and beat him !!!!!!

Wow. The world never ceases to amaze me. Completely disgusting.

Though I am outraged and do not, under any circumstances, condone what this man did, I do suppose I agree with your comments, Joseph. Why should it take something like this to ignite the compassion we are now feeling?

On the other hand, why has he been invited to repeat his work? Wasn't once enough?

Well here's my question: if this exhibit serves to raise awareness of animal cruelty and neglect, if it makes enough people angry enough to go out and help all the OTHER suffering animals in the world, wouldn't that be worth it?

This is the most inhuman action i have seen towards another animal, and this is "art"? Guillermo Vargas, the amount of love i have for you can afford thee no better term than this: Thou art a villian.

I hope the said "artist" dies a very painful death. I am an artist and nothing about torturing animals is art, its cruel and should be see as a CRIME. This "experiment" was wrong and I would love to pay little kids to go hunt down this idiot so that I could put him on display just to die miserably. And anyone who thinks the message the said "artist" was trying to convey justifys his sadistic execution, I hope all of you burn in hell or will be tied to a wall to die in front of a bunch of people you do not know.

I think this is awful.
I can understand how the artist figured the dog would die anyways, and that he wanted everyone to see and understand how the lives of dogs can be miserable... but I think just by having the dog on display would show how miserable the dog already is!!! and instead of letting him starve to death, I think they could have tried to give the dog nourishment, and bring him back to health!!!
Those pictures are so hard for me to look at, it is so heartbreaking

would you then be any different to him?

For anyone who has known the companionship and love of a dog this is horrible. Instead of questioning the sanity of the "artist" question the sanity of those who lent credibility to this horrific display of inhumanity. Who is blaming the curator of the museum? Who is blaming the gawkers? The whole museum should have been boycotted for it's poor taste and Dr. Mengele type thinking.

This has no more artistic value than a lynching or a prisoner of WWII Bergen-Belsen staring listlessly through the electrified fence of the concentration camp. I'm sure again that Mengele would argue that submerging a prisoner in ice water to see how long it would take for him to die was scientific........and even maybe scientific artistry........but who are we kidding?

Everyone knows where people who torture helpless animals end up. Start small and work your way up. I wonder if the artist picked the wings off of flies and starved his pet hamster too.

This is abomination. It MUST be stopped.

So, if there are laws to prevent people from doing this, yet he still gets away with it (possibly more than once). What is to stop him from doing this to a child? Is that how far officials will let him go before they stop him. Why wait?

do you guys react this passionately to news of people being butchered by the hundreds in sudan, or just a dog dying?

There are plenty of people who are concerned about the citizens in Sudan and all across the world. Animal cruelty is becoming worse every day. An animal is just as important as a human being in this world, except for they have no voice. I believe the powerless innocence of an animal that is what makes people so passionate about the issue.

To quote Stalin, "One death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic".
It seems this experiment of his has caused quite an eruption. While I don't want to see that this man is making a valid point, and I don't approve of his method, I don't see a better way to show his view. A picture doesn't really do anything in this situation, it would simply be, "oh look, a malnourished dog, he took a picture". I don't want to justify what he did, but it's done. I don't see why it should be repeated, it's simply going to dilute his message and bring more enraged venting on the internet, which usually seems to be a pointless endeavor. Which means I'm going to stop typing now.

ITS A DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WHO CARES?

i hope people realize that what he's doing to the dogs, is what the rest of the world is doing to each other. we're sitting back and watching others die in vain. it's a cruel way to make a point but it's necessary.

Whats funny is the people who find a way to somewhat defend what this person has done when there are other ways to bring awareness. Animal cruelty, and the murder of an animal is not the best way to bring awareness. The fact of the matter is he murders animals. No ifs, ands, or buts. He has murdered animals, and is being asked to do it again. How would anyone feel if I tied a person to a wall and let them starve to bring up awareness for feeding the poor, and homeless? Little different when you put it in that light now isn't it? What he did is wrong, and will continue to be wrong. We don't know if he did this for awareness either. That isn't mentioned in the article. Don't make excuses to make someone look better in your eyes. The devils advocate shouldn't always be played.

Tragedy brings people together, peace, and harmony drives them insane. It's the way things work these days.

I find it a fascinating exploration in human nature to read and analyze comments made on articles like this. Everyone hears this tiny piece of information which was designed to provoke such extreme reactions out of people and you all predictably react the way you were intended to. Nearly everyone who expressed indignation at the facts presented also made some horrifically violent threat towards the artist and wished on him the same torture they condemn. Is this really your first and only thought about torture? that it should be faced with more torture, creating an angry cycle of pointless violence. You could get off your ass and do something to help the world, indeed something to help the millions of stray animals that die in the same conditions on their own every day, but no. Your response to suffering is to project your anger onto the artist (whose point you have proven ten times over by the way) and to wish more torture with the primitive logic of 'an eye for an eye.'
Use this people. Use your passion for animals to help the world, rather than sitting here and feeling self-righteous because you expressed your precious opinion to the world. You've done your part right?

Exactly ... if he explained the dog's background and displayed his state and nourished him back to health, that would be inspirational and encourage others to do the same, to realize that they CAN do something about starving dogs on the street. This just makes people angry and more focused on hurting him than helping dogs. Maybe he can heal the rage he's created through this first dog he's killed by instead nourishing the next one.

Legally, he's not a murderer. Although his "art" did rise up quite a stir, there is a good point in this. And you are all the result in it. You are the result he wanted. Once you people actually realize what he's trying to get across, you'll understand why he SACRIFICED this poor, helpless dog.

As much as you all hate it, the 'art' piece made it's point.

It didn't glorify death and cruelty as Monica Gaza writes in this article, it showed it plainly, as ugly and messed up as it is in real life. Yes, the sick, starving, dying dog was put on display. But it was not for entertainment value. The point was to show the public what is going on in the streets, unseen by many of the people visiting the gallery.

This outrage displayed by almost everyone on this board is the desired reaction. The viewer, the public, is supposed to go "that's messed up". But what didn't come across as well was the point that the dog would have dies from sickness and starvation anyways, as do many other homeless stray dogs in the area. By 'showcasing' the one dog, Guillermo was attempting to bring about awareness, and urge people to think about it, and maybe even do something about it.

You are right that there are thousands of starving people in the world, but for someone to pluck them off the street and have people pay money to come enjoy the pain and suffering this dog is going through is sick and wrong. Everyone is aware that there are other starving animals out there that need our help, but this act of cruelty and coldheartedness is disgustfull. For you to say,"what is one dog when there are thousands that need help" makes one question how you can care about the thousands of others when you do not even seem to care about this one!

The dog would have died anyways; at least he was able to get an important message out using its death.

That is an extremely ignorant and negative response to the torture of a living thing. Every living thing eventually dies but that doesn't mean that they should be subject to torture. And what exactly is the important message; It sucks to starve?

So if you were dying it would be ok for something larger and more powerful then you to tie you to a wall and leave you to die?

we all know the world is f***** up. we dont need a dead dog on display to tell us that. freakin ridiculous. this world is full of sick people.

I agree with the message this artist is trying to potray. yes in shocked me and set of a certain sense of anger at first , and had me questioning why this is and should be portrayed as artwork and use as an installation, however after reading and looking deeper into the emotion and feeling this causes on such a wide scale, it has achieved its purpose it has shown us what people are capable of and what controversy they can create, and welcome such a wide scale of different responses and actions.We would not feed this dog if it were on the streets a bigger percentage of our population would walk byand take for granted the thought of a starving dog. we would simply let it fend for itself. just because it is placed in a gallery it becomes more of a mockery and people feel it is being degraded!. However i think the artist is showing that this dog is dying here and people are standing watching regardless of how it feels..not trying to help this animal but actually inviting and opening up to the fact that this is artwork.Maybe he is trying to show how sick human beings can be. whatever he has created it has worked and in a sense i admire his work. no i would not feel comfortable viewing this myself and i would not encourage people to go to this gallery and see this work. however it interests me and art imitates life and life imitates art. this is an installation installed to provoke attention and widespread controversy and yes it has achieved this extremely well.

this isn't just wrong for him to let the a living creature die...btu the fact that he has the nerve to make this exhibit just for his attention as an artist...what a bastard.

I don't understand why you think that he only did it for attention.

Not likely. Many people who have exhibitions like this believe that art is about expressing thoughts, ideas, and opinions, and not about making money or getting in the spotlight.

As a few other readers have mentioned, the fact that you paid enough attention to the article to read it and comment on it means that you're giving the artist attention, whether he wanted it or not.

I can not believe that this was allowed to happen.
It's sadistic, it's disgusting, and it makes me even more aware that there are people in this world that are sick and don't deserve to be here.

Is this what art has become? To what lengths will these 'artists' go to to get there 'message' across, messages that we allready know about and don't need reminding of; especially via trapping an allready suffering animal, tying it up, parading it infront of other sick people so that they can watch it suffer, and allowing it to die.
I study art - why can't people just paint pictures, or write books anymore? - it's all about the 'shock value,' and its pointless (i dont care how much they try to persuade us otherwise with their artistic bull**** concepts that they make up as they go along).

And all at the expense of an innocent animal, this man should not get credit for what he has done. He'll be stringing up a homeless person next, claiming: 'Oh, well he was going to die anyway...'

Arghhhh!!!!

Do some research folks. This dog was tied up for 3 hours, outside of which it was fed and watered. It escaped before the second day. It was probably better fed in the gallery then before. Nobody in the gallery was told "This dog is being starved to death". That would have been a lie. They were just aware of a street dog tied up in the gallery. It was on the brink of death when brought in - two children were able to catch it. The entire point of the whole 'event' was that street dogs die every day and nobody feeds them. We all know that. We all walk around every day with knowledge in our heads that should cause outrage, but we only react when we read about outrage, written with outrageous words, and we take on the outrage. This IS sad - because of what it says about US, not what it says about the artist.

Oh, and for 'street dogs' read 'people in third world countries'.

Are you all complete morons. He did not do this becasue he enjoys to see animals die. And he didnt do this because he wanted the animal to be tortured. Stray animals die everyday from sickness and hunger. Its either that orsome one offs them becasue they are a pest. He didnt do this to make you think starving animals is art he did this to help you realize that even though it is so unfortunate for this animal to die it is still somthing to make you think about life itself. you all bash this man for letting an animal die and you are so quick to say i cant believe they didnt stop him, he is so wrong, he shouldnt be allowed to show art. you all sound so big jumping to stop a man from letting a dog die wich would not eat and had no fight left yet wen some one...like myself...says "My brother died last week in iraq" you are going to sit there and say dont let this man let a dog die. PEOPLE!!! do you hear yourselves gossiping about this man over art. i just cant understand why you are sooo appauled over somthing so stupid as letting a dog pass on to somthing better, letting it end its pain and its shitty life and letting it get on with being numb to the heartache and let it forget the terrible life it has obviously seen. you are all so sophmoric.

I hope your brother suffered in Iraq. I hope the loss never leaves you, I hope it haunts you, because this dog is worth more to me than you, or your dumbass, trigger happy bro. Rot in hell.

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.

Nearly 10 billion land animals are raised and killed by the American livestock industry last year, and that's perfectly fine. All of a sudden someone publicly kills a dog and that's messed up? I don't understand why people are so disgusted by just this. What's the difference? Just because you see dogs on a regular basis? Because a cow never cuddled up in your lap?

Screw you

Heh, I just recently learned about performance art and installation art during art class. We did some performance art and installation pieces just a week ago in collab with my school's theatre department for the play, "Execution of Justice."

I don't think some of the people here know much about installation art, but I kinda agree at what's going on here.

It is cruel to torture a dog just for an installation piece, but if the message behind it IS about animal cruelty...hmm, I think it sends the message out stronger than just doing work on a canvas. And then again, the artist sounds a bit fishy, but so does this article.

This is disgusting. And his argument that the dog would have been killed by locals, and he was only displaying it's suffering is nonsense. People kill each other every day. Why does this idiot not rather strap himself into the museum to starve in order to show his own suffering.

I think someone should tie this artist up in a corner and watch him starve to see how it feels to be that poor dog! Its not "just a dog"--dogs are living beings just like humans!

I am ashamed that this person is a human being (although not much of one). I am ashamed of his mother for raising such a vile creature. If he's such a successful artist, maybe he should contemplate donating some of his money to save poor animals like this. Create a shelter, increase the awareness in the stupid people that come to see his "shows." All I know is that God will have his vengeance. Mr. Habacuc will probably benefit from these animals' suffering in this life, but I can guarantee that he'll be wishing that he would have helped these innocent creatures in the next life. That fire is HOT!

IDIOT! Anyone who allows this to go on is a monster and has no feelings for life. These are exactly the same kind of people who would take a baby or toddler and do the same to them. Heartless, cruel. They hide behind the word 'art' to protect themselves, much like terrorists hide behind their religions to break the law. When are we as a society going to get smart and realize these fools are pushing buttons just because they can?? It sickens me.

I CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW ANY HUMAN CAN BELIEVE STARVING A DOG OR ANIMAL IS ART. THE BASTARD IS SICK AND SHOULD BE HUNG!
WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND. YOU WILL KNOW STARVATION-SO GET A DAMN JOB YOU SICK BASTARD!

"THE WAY TO HEAVEN IS PAVED BY THE WAY WE TREAT OUR ANIMALS"

Personally, I think there is an issue with the opinion viewpoint of this article. The author is obviously biased against the act contained in this exhibit and makes no effort to even attempt to hide it. To anyone who is truly, deeply interested in this story, I suggest you find an article more arbitrary in its reporting, one that shows both sides of the story in an equal light and doesn't so obviously take a stand against Habacuc's actions, or perhaps do your own first-hand research before deciding on your position on the issue. I am not by any means defending Habacuc's doings, I am merely asking you to be proactive and conscious minded in your dealings. And to the author, your job as a reporter is to write an article that displays the news of the story, not your personal opinion, your job is not to make up people's minds for them but to help them make up their own mind by providing accurate, reliable information in an unbiased manner, otherwise write an opinion piece, not an article under the heading of "news". You are perfectly entitled to your opinion, but its place is not in this story.

This is an editorial.
"An editorial is a statement or article by a news organization, newspaper or magazine that expresses the opinion of the editor, editorial board, or publisher".
This was not aimes primarily as a piece of news, but rather as an article offering an opinion, a point of view that is to be taken as such.

His bias is correct, the artists actions are deplorable. Are you so desensitized that this is "art" to you? If this is the case you deserve the same fate as the artist. A slow and painful death, after losing everything that he ever loved.

I think that anyone who went to this so called exhibit should be tied to a pole and starved, That includes the owners and workers in the gallery. Someone should have untied that dog. What the hell is wrong with these people. Just because hes an "artist" doesnt give him the right to do what he wants. Someone allowed him to do this and they should both be tied up to starve to death.

I think everybody here knows that dogs and people and everything else are dying of starvation everyday. Is it the fact that you have to see it now that makes you so angry? Is it because he made you look at it and see that its real? How many of you would have even known if he had "simply written a book about the misery of the human condition, like so many others did before him?" What makes him worse than the people in the gallery who just watched? He brought the dog from the gutter and made its condition publicly known. That act probably gave the dog a better chance of survival. Also was stated in the article that the dog died the next day, not days later. Art is a means of communication. I think we can all agree that this communicates something.

I think the artist should be tied to a wall and left to starve just like the poor animal(s). What also disturbs me is all the people that go to his exhibits, and buy his art work.

If you think this is cruel, you should go to the PETA website and watch some of the videos on animal testing. Or just google animal testing and watch the videos. Those make this guy look like a saint.

I'm not getting your "POINT". I know I can honestly say that if I came accross the dog on the street, I would have given it food, water, shelter, but most of all MEDICAL CARE!! I dont care if this dog was found sick or dying...the best thing for this sick man to do would be to take the dog to a shelter or a vet to get some help. It is NOT art to show a dying dog to hundreds of people. It doesn't tell anybody about their "flaws" but what it does tell us is that there are VERY sick people in this world that we must do something about. This so-called "artist" should die a slow, painful death with hundreds of on-lookers...because thats what karma is. He will get whats coming to him for doing this terrible thing to an innocent animal!! At least let the dog die with some sort of dignity!! I mean, are you an idiot?

The artist and the gallery owners should be tied up and left to starve to death. Would we tie a person who was going to die in a corner and leave them to die on show for all sick individuals to see. If this artist wants to show the progression of starvation why not starve himself. Due unto others.

Any country that allows this to be repeated should have their exports boycotted by all civilized cooutries. I can't imagine the attrocities that must be happening in this country to other living beings. How long will the rest of the world allow these types of attrocities to go unanswered? We can stop this, stop purchasing items from this country. Money talks!!!!

you sir are a worthless excuse for an artist. you are like the sick freaks in in the movies that enjoy mutilating living creatures for the fun of it. go get help quickly. along with the freaks that want you to do it again. your sick. i hope the psycho ward has an opening for your sick minds.

I have never been so disgusted- I am an art student so this S-O-B couldn't use the "you don't know art" card on me. I simply cannot believe this psuedo intellectual bastards sipping thier whine and eating cheese watching this poor thing rot infront of them. I have never been compelled to act like I am right now. Do not just SIMPLY stop him- send this guy to jail

Learn to paint *****

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder...true...but I just have to disagree with this "artists" "piece of art."

"[he] claims that the poor animal was "persecuted" (sic) by other locals and would have been killed anyway." Yes the dog would have died, but I feel that allowing the dog's death to be showcased contributed to the death. The guy didn't even attempt to help the dog.

"thus they are all poor dogs: sooner or later they die or are killed"
You can say that with anything... but this "artist" captured the dog. The thing with the dog dying sooner or later should be applied with if the dog were in the wild. But here the dog was captured and could have been saved if not for a second

Horrible, just horrible.

i think this man is sick....when he is arrested..that is if his country is humane..i think his punishment should match the crime..after he is removed from prison from which his asshole should be about the size of the fat end of a colt 45, and it is his turn to stand for his crime, TIE HIS ASS TO A WALL AND LET HIM STARVE TO DEATH.

thanks for posting

well every human has to die eventually too .. so next we can have them tied up by some serial killer posing as an artist .. its so sad ...

Wow!!!!!!!! I have no idea where to start or what to say. This man is more then crazy, and needs to get some help if or anybody in the world thinks this is OK... this is not OK and I don't care if he had a point to make. He could have gone out in streets took some photos or wrote a damn book. That would be more "art like". I can't believe people actually went to this and did nothing about it and just watched. If i was there and i heard about this i would have gone just so I can do everything in my power to let this poor dog free, even if it meant i might go to jail. I can't believe us humans sometimes how we think or what we do. How the hell is this art? and I cant believe the invited him to do this again, so now some other dog is going to have to go through the same thing just so this Asshole can be make a heartless point? This is not okay and somebody out there should do something to that man. Yes I'm an animal lover but God gave us 2 powerful things in life. 1 being the heart and 2 being the brain and both my heart and mind knows this is wrong, so for all those people who say "its just a dog" think of this Would u like to be where he was? or just a simple question of is this right or wrong?

this is just horrible how could anyone do anything like this to any animal dont they have rights to because they do and he should be in jail

This is NOT art. This is just an evil act of someone insensible who do not have any talent. Next thing will be killing poor people in front of everyone and tell that's art. If he is allowed to go make a mockery of art and life in this way, then release all the murderers and serial killers on account that they are free to express and share their art! What a shame :( He should be ARRESTED for animal cruelty or better he should be killed in the manner that he finds so exquisite and beautiful, artistic expression he would say. Let him starve, dying slowly and in agonizing pain tied by rope in a corner while his body eats itself until it has nothing left but to die as others watch without so much as a breath of pity and only glaring pomp and inflated notions of what true art is. How pathethic he is.

Firstly man has no right to call himself an artist..if he has to, call him "AN ARTIST WITHOUT A SOUL AND HEART" ..how insane, how insensitive. I think another artist should do the same thing and let him die to show the misery of human beings as well...fare enough..y not!! If he says he did this to show the misery of dogs ...let us use him for human beings...

..if he says he did it to show the misery of dogs in reality..let us show the misery of human beings by starving him to death..let another piece of art be created..!!

It worked, didn't it?

If he wrote a book, would you have bothered to write this article, therefore inadvertently informing everyone of the point the artist is trying to make?

You seem to think that the only form of art is traditional art.
What is art without controversy?


Also, what makes all of you so much better than him if you think he should die because of this?
You say that animals have rights too, but killing him as well won't solve anything.

I don't think it was a good idea, but who's to say that the dog WOULDN'T have died on a street corner somewhere that same day? Don't dismiss what the artist has said as a lie when you probably really have no idea what you're talking about.

The end does not justify the means.

I believe a certain book has the words in it "Do unto others, as you would have done unto yourself"

So he justly deserves it.

You don't go about advertising the plight of cancer sufferers by making a spectacle of ones death, so why does a helpless dog deserve it. You think these caring and thoughtful people who viewed the "spectacle" went home inspired to make a difference in the suffering of animals? Rather "whats for dinner tonight?" "Oh, nothing special, just fois gras, whale sushi, sauteed polar bear and a bit of tiger soup."

Universal compassion people, no life is worth anymore than another.

yeahhh, you say its just a dog. i say you are just a human, how does that make you feel? i bet you are one of the people who would have paid to go see that dog died. you are just as much to blame as the so-called "artist"

looking at the pictures made me seriously cry. i can't seem to wrap my mind around why someone could actually do such a thing. i agree with everyone that says he needs to be tied up to a wall, i would pay to see him sufffer and die.

i also would just like to say yes, i eould have fed that dog or tried to take it home if i saw it on the streets. i do it ALL THE TIME. i use to work at an animal shelter. he should have nurtered it back to health and showed that the whole world is not evil. that there is still some good in this evil world. but clearly he is just another useless man who just wants to drive his Bently and drink his Starbucks at an innocent dog's expense. i know many, many artists and he is not one of them. the fact that they are letting him repeat this is ridiculous.

The dog would not eat when fed, it was obviously sick, but no one's going to pay for a stray dog to see a vet. The dog died right after the guy found it, so it's not his fault.

I think this sick rat-bastard should be beaten and tied to a wall and let starve to death as well.

i was really mad when i heard about this, but then i did some research and found out that is not what happened at all. the dog was only on display 3 hours at a time and was fed and watered in between. he escaped after a day. he did not die on set. several animal rights groups looked into this and i found this out from them, not from people defending him.

Hs is stupid. To even take part in stripping away the natural dignity of a dog
dying (anyway) is to rape this dog's spirit, like pissing on someone's grave.
Would you like us to do that to you? Watch like ghouls as you die, for morbid
entertainment. If I were "dying" in the natural environment, I would have at least the comfort of being "anonymous"--a great and natural comfort when you are
suffering greatly, silently. If I thought my death or suffering in any way was being deliberately "showcased", all of my moments since birth, and all my memories,
built one upon another, one second upon the next--the "empire" of life that in my
mind I painstakingly built, from the womb forward--my very personal life--would
be made into a mockery. By making any one of us a mockery, whether we be animal or human or even single celled, we make ALL of us a mockery. What he is
doing is showcasing EVIL itself. It is the glorification of evil within himself that he
is compelled to reveal to us when he chooses to showcase the suffering of a life,
be it rat, pig, human, dog or ant. He feels compelled to horrify and discust us all because
in him there is a bitter hate, perhaps of his mother--someone he really wants to
hurt and cannot--so he chooses to hurt us, the audience, instead. To strip a dying
creature of his/her natural, god-given dignity, however elementary that dignity is,
even if that dignity is just a thin shred, is disrespectful, evil, vile and pure hate. It feels like he is choking the life out of us all. He must really, really hate himself for having to feel compelled to showcase the suffering of another life's ending process.
We all must die, much like this dog. All life must die. We do not want to die on
stage. ART IS NOT A CELEBRATION OF DEATH. ART IS A CELEBRATION OF LIFE.
ART IS TO CELEBRATE GROWING. We all know we must die. It is a process we go through alone, privately. If art was a celebration of death, we would all work
toward death and there would be no life.
Maybe we should wait until this "artist" is ready to die and in his death bed, in his
death throws, keep the camera on him for the months it takes for him to expire,
so he can show us personally how artful he feels. He can make that choice himself
to play martyr. All of life is connected. We all belong to one another. We own
one another in a spirit of love and brotherhood. NO ONE SHOULD ALLOW HIM TO Take one of the world's dogs and make that creature into his OWN PERSONAL MARTYR. Why in the WORLD would CostaRica allow him that power? Let a dog die on his or her own term, naturally, be it cruelly in the streets if that is the nature of things there, but most certainly not on exhibition. A dog dying in the streets at least can choose its own environment to a degree--what dirt to lay on, what grass to view, what patch of sky to look up to, what items to be near--that dog dying on its own terms can, as its dying, observe the littl things of nature in the process--like butterflys, perhaps, or insects or see people walking by. Even in a state of neglect there are
a lot of little freedoms to take comfort in. No one should be allowed to strip these
away. You don't punish an apathetic society (or what you perceive to be the case)
in this way. If you care that much about "changing" your apathetic society, then
lay down your life for it: let every dime you make go toward reaching out to every
single neglected dog you can find to give it something--food, comfort, support,
friendship, personal time. Does he really thing he's going to change his apathetic
society by jamming it in their faces? Nice try, stupid.
If Costa Rica believes this is art, this tells me that they cannot see true art--that
which inspires us from nature (which is what art is). What Costa Rica's judges are
falling for is the pretension of knowing art. Anyone in tune with the liberation and
freedom and flow of art and free expression knows that art (and nature) is all about celebrating LIFE, not death. If a dying organism wishes to celebrate his/her
own death, let THEM plan that on their own.
I really hate this guy for coming up with this morbid concept. I hate him like I
hate Hannible Lector in "Silence of the Lambs". He is a psychotic person and I
hate his hate. You should too.

This article reminds me of Gregor Schneider's newest artistic endeavor.....

German Artist Gregor Schneider’s unmade controversial piece of art which can be referred to as, “The beauty in death.” Gregor Schneider’s newest artistic endeavor will be complete as soon as he has a volunteer who is willing to die in a museum in observance of spectators from another room. The controversy arises when some people suggest that, “What if no one sees any beauty in death? What if there is simply death in death?” He claims that no individual’s death in his piece will be in vein (and all necessary respects to the dying will be made prior to their death). There is much debate over the artistic value of this design, if any