“The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated,” said Mahatma Gandhi, who led the Indian independence movement against Britain.
In the United States, and nations throughout the world, that’s a measure continuously tested.
A high-profile test played out in recent weeks over a Chinese exhibition scheduled at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. It sparked controversy before its October opening with what was described by The New York Times as three “major works” — none new — exploiting nonhuman creatures.
“Theater of the World,” also the name of the entire exhibit, is a set of photos from a previous “performance” wherein pigs were tattooed and mated in front of an audience of people.
A second exhibit has live amphibians, insects and reptiles under a dome — museum goers can watch and may see some of the creatures prey upon others.
In the original iteration of “Dogs that Cannot Touch Each Other,” pit bulls were put on treadmills facing off for attack, but restrained from tearing each other apart, also as people watched. The Guggenheim intended to show the video of the original staging.
Dogs, known as Man’s Best Friend in the Western World, are routinely packed “like sardines” and crated for their slaughter throughout Southeast Asia and China, to be served as meals for human beings.
The notorious China Yulin Dog Festival has been widely condemned worldwide for several years, but the city and its obstinate denizens continue the event, during which an estimated 10,000 dogs are killed to eat.
Worldwide, the Humane Society International estimates 30 million dogs are eaten every year by people. Given that an insufficient number of people in the world have seen the memo that dogs are companions, not dinner, maybe it’s no surprise that Chinese artists fail to see a problem with using sentient beings as tools. While that’s no excuse for ignorance of the plight of fellow creatures, it’s some context.
There is no excuse though for an elite American institution to support animal maltreatment under the guise of art. It’s beyond baffling that a prestigious arts institution would have been so off the mark in its resolute commitment to this Chinese exhibition.
In response to “Dogs that Cannot Touch Each Other” (awkward in its name alone), the American Kennel Club issued a statement: “Dog fighting is unacceptable and should not be displayed in any manner and certainly not as art. Depictions of animal cruelty are not art. Using live dogs in depictions of animal cruelty is not art, nor is it healthy for the dogs involved. It creates a perilous, damaging and stressful environment.”
Even after this and other intense criticism, including a petition signed by 720,000 people that called out “several distinct instances of unmistakable cruelty against animals in the name of art” and asked that the museum “pull the pieces employing these cruel methods,” the Guggenheim remained committed to the so-called art in a Sept. 21 statement.
After that response, activists protested outside the museum.
Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, continued the call to pull the offending pieces.
“These animals … are emotionally complex and highly intelligent living beings, not props,” she wrote in an open letter. “The animals in these exhibits are not willing participants …”
The Guggenheim relented four days later, but in reversing its decision failed to grasp the real issue of animal rights, instead stating the decision was based on “concern for the safety of its staff, visitors and participating artists.”
Perhaps Richard Armstrong, director of the Guggenheim Museum & Foundation, is just so far removed from reality operating in the rarefied art world … courting high net worth art donors, living well among objets d’art.
As a thought experiment, Armstrong should imagine the creatures used in the exhibit replaced with human beings and consider if that would still be “art.” Increasing numbers of people don’t see a difference.
— Maria Fotopoulos writes about the connection between overpopulation and biodiversity loss, and is a senior writing fellow for Californians for Population Stabilization, syndicated by Cagle Cartoons. Follow her on Twitter: @TurboDog50. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.