Written by PETA
As part of its new sculpture park, the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) at the University of Rochester is planning to install a piece by Tom Otterness, who notoriously purchased a dog from an animal shelter, tied him to a fence, and shot him to death as part of a 1977 "art" film. Although he has since apologized, he reportedly has yet to make any meaningful gesture of regret, such as donating time or money to a reputable animal shelter.
Public outcry has led to the cancellation or postponement of other Otterness sculptures, including a planned New York Public Library sculpture that was canceled after PETA protested. So far, MAG has ignored the most recent protests and plans to proceed with Otterness' commission.
PETA is urging people to avoid visiting MAG so that the gallery will get the message that killing animals is always cruel and that animal abusers should be held accountable. Instead, we encourage people to check out artists such as Miru Kim and Nafe Nanfeng as well as art collective Neozoon, all of whom use their work to help stop cruelty to animals.
Written by Heather Faraid Drennan
The first thing you notice when looking at artist Miru Kim's portraits of her own bare flesh as it touches pigs' skin is how similar they look. The curving lines, the freckles, and the dusting of hair could easily be human or porcine. The New York City–based artist visited factory hog farms and snapped photos of herself alongside the pigs for her exhibit, "The Pig That Therefore I Am."
About her experience on the farms, Kim told The New York Times Style Magazine:
This was the single most frightening experience I've ever had. The clanking of metal grates, the screams and grunts, the smell, the filth, the dreary eyes of pregnant sows confined in gestation crates ….
Once you learn about pigs, it's easy to see how similar we really are, and not just on the outside. Pigs, like humans, love listening to music, getting massages, and even playing video games. They have a complex social structure and language, and mother pigs sing to their babies while nursing.
We would never shoot a 6-month-old baby and immerse him or her into a scalding tank, so why would we do it to a baby pig? You don't have to. Take PETA's "Pledge to Be Vegan for 30 Days" and protect the pigs "that therefore they are."
Written by Michelle Sherrow
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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