9 thoughts on “Boycott Guillermo Habacuc Vargas”

1. skip to main | skip to sidebar remember natividad
   natividad is the spanish word for “birth”. it was the name of the poor dog starved in public in the name of “art”. The “artist” was not only not punished, but won also the first prize and was chosen a representative of the entire country!

   Authentic, first hand, non-commercial, no spam boycott informations. No photos of the cruel “exhibition” are added here for those who cannot stand to see them. 100% in contact with Mr.Jaime Sancho, who started the petition.

   THE PETITION ITSELF CAN BE FOUND HERE – PLEASE SIGN :-)

   ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE PETITION TEXT [BABELFISH]

   WHAT TO FILL IN INTO THE FIELDS OF THE FORM
   Sunday, 4 November 2007
   Another misinformation is spread around! There was NEVER any official apology of the “artist”!

   Update: Obviously the misinformation was officially spread around by a big Italian animal welfare organization (OIPA – http://www.oipaitalia.com/), I really do not understand why??? Mr.Jaime Sancho was also puzzled and unpleasantly surprised by such strange actions :-( You can read his recent statement on this subject here: http://ea6gk.blogspot.com/…oipa.html

   No, the Italian OIPA does not have “more fresh” informations about the case, than the native Spanish speaking supporters of the boycott! Obviously somebody tries also to spread misinformation around, to bring the supporters of the boycott to fight each other – please do not believe in informations, which are not backed by Mr.Jaime Sancho!

   ——————————————————————————–
   [My recent comments in Italian blogs]

   “I am sorry, I do not speak Italiano, but I translated your writings via Babelfish, and I have to inform you, that there have been numerous false “Guillermos” and supporters of this “artista” out on the web, telling people that the “artist” would apologize for his actions.

   This is not the truth!

   There was never any official statement or an official apology of Guillermo Habacuc Vargas!

   According to Mr.Jaime Sancho (http://www.ea6gk.org/), who started the petition, people should consider all those “apologies” as anti-boycott actions of supporters!

   And you can see, they were indeed successful, as they slowed down all protests, prevented media from writing about the case and brought a lot of people to forget the case :-(

   Please do not believe in reports about the case, if they do not come from first hand pages, Mr.Jaime Sancho is the one who knows the truth, as he is the one who coordinates the protests! And if you do not speak Spanish, please visit my supporting page, it is the English translation of the happenings: http://reiskeks-natividad.blogspot.com/

   Thank you – Grazie :-)”

   Posted by reiskeks at 12:34 PM

   Labels: blogs, boycott, false apologies, info, internet, Jaime Sancho, people, stop misinformation, web 2.0

   DogPress.Org says…

   Our National United States Organization of ‘Animals C.L.U.B.- Freedom’ will do everything in our power to publicly bring the criminal actions of this artist VARGAS to light around the world and to Costa Rica. Please see the ‘Journal’ link of the Director, on http://animalsclubfreedom.us/

2. How utterly disgusting this was allowed to take place and worse that people actually stood by and did nothing ….. I am appalled. Utter bastards.

3. Animals should have the same rights as Human beings…if not , more so!
   x

4. I totally agree with the sentiments against Guillermo Vargas’ piece. It’s little more than an inhumane, ignorant, cruel, and selfish cheap shot. I can think of a million other ways he could have said the same thing. Mr. Vargas could do us all a favor and read a little about a guy named Gandhi. I find the whole situation terrible and making itself into a real bummer. Making matters all the worse, I wish the reaction would have been less emotional and reactive. 

   Ultimately, the petition to ban Guillermo from the Bienal Centroamericana is little more than a declaration that irrational public opinion (devoid of due process, largely based on unverified editorial reports, and an array of exaggerations and rumors) has the right to define acceptable morality in art/artists, and thereby censor it’s offenders. Please consider the possibility of signing that petition, or encouraging others to, as a big step down dangerous and slippery slope. I can’t help but look back and shudder at what happened as a result of the whole Andres Serrano/Mapplethorpe/NEA fiasco; art was criminalized by personal public opinion and grants were cut by millions and millions of dollars. We need to prosecute criminals, not art, especially not degenerate art. The problem is a legal, not moral issue. Both in the US and abroad, proper law enforcement, truly humane laws concerning animal rights/cruelty, lack of adequate public services providing care stray animals, and the legal definition of animals as little more than property (with a value equal to their purchase price), created that dog, in that gallery. Vargas’ seemingly amoral judgement is a symptom of primitive or non-existant law. If the story is true, what is the real crime? It wasn’t a punishable criminal offense for the artist/gallery to treat that animal in such a way. It shouldn’t have been an option.

   His actions, while in completely poor and regrettable judgment, appear to be within the legal boundaries of his government. As it stands, it’s merely offensive. If murdering starving orphan kids were legal in Nicaragua, and an artist found a poignant social metaphor in placing the head of a small orphan child on a stake in the middle of a gallery, wouldn’t the appropriate response be to put pressure on Nicaraguan government to outlaw murder of starving orphan kids? Wouldn’t anyone feel compelled to start an organization dedicated feed and clothe and house and educate these kids?
    
   Also please remember, it is alleged animal abuse. Since when do people go on trial via the internet? Since when do we strip people of their right to due process because someone forwarded us an email, created by anonymous sources, or linked to a blog with editorial content? We must equally consider the consequence of our actions/reactions. 

   Did you see the bit artinfo.com had to say about him:

   “Over 1.5 million people have signed a petition calling for Costa Rican artist Guillermo “Habacuc” Vargas not to be included in this year’s Bienal Centroamericana Honduras, the Guardian reports. The outrage comes after an exhibition last year at the Codice Gallery in Nicaragua, where Vargas leashed a stray dog named Natividad in the gallery without food or water as part of his work. He also wrote the words “Eres Lo Que Lees” (You Are What You Read) in dog biscuits for the piece, while playing the Sandinista anthem backwards and setting 175 pieces of crack cocaine alight in a giant incense burner.”

   Agreed, I can’t stand it either. It sounds like the only thing he’s missing free hand-jobs from slave child prostitutes in the back room. But also, 1.5 million speaking out, making their voices heard. That’s incredible and inspiring. Now, with any luck those same 1.5 million people will be moved enough to write the government of Nicaragua, urging generation of legislation protecting animals from these abuses, or help what is also an economic issue by organizing fundraisers to neuter stray animals, provide proper care, etc. I urge anyone who signed the petition to please be more than just offended.

   And, while we’re on the subject of live animals in art, I think Banksey is a douche, and wonder why nobody signed any petitions protesting “Barely Legal”. 

   These links are pics from the September, 2006 show we had here in Los Angeles. I find this piece equally outrageous. Hoards of civilized people gawked, laughed, took pictures of a remarkably sensitive and intelligent creature, then they bought the art and the books and the posters.     

   http://www.flickr.com/photos/true2death/252870011/

   http://www.flickr.com/photos/true2death/252614489/

   Also see:

   http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/3077217.stm

   All domesticated and captive animals are part of our collective inherited responsibility. For thousands of years we’ve depended on them for survival. In many cases, we’ve permanently altered their genetics to better serve man, and/or eliminated their habitats and natural ability to survive. Through “selective breeding” we’ve rendered animals like the dog an utterly dependent creature, however, unfortunate for the dog, over the past 100 years or so, the “jobs” of most have all but been eliminated. While their functions and value has changed, their value to the humans species remains. Like children, domesticated and captive animals are a personal and public responsibility, please offer the same conscientious protection from undeserved iniquity. 

   D. Jackson

5. I beleive in the humanity treatment of animals, but here are a few angles in which I look at this.

   1) I hold all of you people who were there at the exhibit just as responsible for not caring enough to stop and inquire about the welfare of the dog!
   2) It appears many many people jump in anger mode over the mis treatment of a dog, but never go to this extent over a human being!
   3)Maybe if more people, all people cared enough for human life, poverty, racisism, starvation, and the list goes on would end. We dont need orginazations to help us. We all are on this dirt ball together! But as I see it not for long if we dont care of our own species. But hey, when we all die then the dogs can run carefree and eat us and they will never starve!

   Focus People Focus People

6. Have people lost their minds? Please stop this appaling person from doing this kind of thing ever again.

   Perhaps we could tie ‘pseudo-artist’ Guillermo Habacuc Vargas up and let him starve to death in front of others? The man needs jailing for a long time.
   I could watch that

7. Unbelievable, how insane, I cried… shouldn’t we all? How can we allow this to happen and do nothing?

8. What goes around comes around………….Guillermo Vargas you make me sick!!!!!

9. This made me cry! How can this atrocity be allowed to happen in this day and age??!!! This so called ‘ARTIST’ is anything but. Art is supposed to please and pleasure, this is the work of a sick madman, Guillermo Vargas, who needs to experience the pain and suffering endured by this poor defenceless animal. Maybe someone somewhere could arrange for this lowlife to star in his own ‘ART’ It could be titled ‘TORTURE OF A MONSTER’ and we could all stand around jeering, pointing and clapping as he begged for mercy. This would give many pleasure!!!