Art?

Please, check out the photos from the exhibition of the "artist" Guillermo Habacuc Vargas before you continue to read my post. There are very sad images of a starving dog.

Well, the dog died. If that is art, I refuse to be an artist. What was Vargas’ point, if he had any?

There will always be a group of a people to argue and justify this inhumane act. Some will say that the dog would die anyway. Some will say that the point of Vargas exhibition was to shock and create impact on a human’s mind. Vargas will say that that is art.

Are we that much cold and insensitive that we really need to see all of it in vivo in order to understand and to have appropriate reaction on this kind of things? Vargas couldn’t actually MAKE an artwork? Painting, photo, video or anything else? No matter reasoning, two facts remain. The "artist" didn’t even try to help to this dog and he just added on a poor dog’s sufferings by dragging him to this horrible exhibition.

Nothing, and I really mean nothing, should be above our humanity and compassion. If you can’t help to someone, then at least don’t make his/her sufferings even worse. Record it. Remember it. Find an appropriate way to tell your story without hurting innocent animals. We live in a time when that is possible.

All of this reminded me of Kevin Carter, a Pulitzer-winning South African photographer that committed suicide, hunted by the horrific images of starving people in Sudan, unable to distance himself from the things he witnessed and unable to help. He won’t be forgotten.

Now, to go back to my story, Vargas is about to represent his country at the Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008. Do not let him! Over 360.000 people have signed a petition. Please, help us out. Sign it.