At the end of last week, the Guggenheim Museum has accused his new exhibition, but rather several controversial works promoting cruelty to animals.
The Museum tried to defend installations by Chinese artists, arguing that animals are not caused any harm. However, activists campaigning against the exploitation of animals, has created an e-petition, demanding to exclude disturbing their work from the exhibition. Over the weekend, a petition signed by more than 500 thousand people.
On Monday, representatives of the Guggenheim Museum announced the decision to remove three of the installation of his exhibition «Art and China after 1989: theater of the world» because of concerns about «the safety of its employees, visitors, and artists-participants».
The outrage of activists caused a video, which depicted four pairs of dogs on treadmills facing each other. In a seven-minute video of a dog trying to get closer to one another, but they do not succeed. Also signs of violence against animals present in the installation with live reptiles and insects, which are trapped in a glass box, forced to «eat each other».
Cruelty is not art
In addition to the participants of public organizations, the news caused indignation among representatives of the public Internet. The petition was signed by people living not only in new York but outside of the US. Many contributed to the spread of information on Twitter, adding that such attitude to animals is monstrous, and it can’t be considered art.
June Wilson from Toronto, Canada, says that violence, manifested in these installations is not art. People will find it unacceptable to put in museums a video of someone making fun of women and children. «Then how can you allow such animals? Animals do not fall to the Ground, in order for people to be able to make a profit or use them for entertainment.»
Bonnie Evans emphasizes that the participation of such distinguished cultural institutionsas the Guggenheim Museum, makes this situation even more disgusting. «It’s hard to believe such an outstanding Museum, which has always been a leader in promoting innovative and conventional art, is going to hold a similar exhibition. They pursue profit? If so, then there must be a better way of achieving this goal!».
Mehndi Cattail goes further and says: «It’s barbaric, especially since we live in the United States of America. We’re better than this. How can you, Guggenheim?».
«The main thing — freedom of expression»
In his first statement, published on Thursday, representatives of the Guggenheim Museum announced that as part of the exhibition, «challenging and provocative» and they will be shown to the public in October as planned.
But «the explicit and repeated threats of violence» forced the leadership to change his mind. «As a cultural institution, representing the many voices, we are concerned that should abandon art. Freedom of expression has always been and will remain a top value of Guggenheim Museum».
