by Rod Hughes

The art exhibit featuring an emaciated dog, which may or may not be dead, continues to cause an uprorar. (See newsfeed No. 1367)
The exhibition in Nicaragua of Costa Rican artist Guillermo “Habacuc” Vargas featuring a street dog he picked up in Managua, among other touches, may cost him a chance to appear on a panel of judges at the most important art show on the istmus, the Bienial Centroamericana Honduras 2008. This is because an Internet petition protesting his appearance signed by 62,331 persons was passed to the event’s directors. Habacuc was named to represent his country last September, after his controversial Managua art entry.

A Nicaraguan journalist consulted by the daily paper La Nación and an Internet blog by Rodrigo Peñalba assured the reporters that the dog died after a day, tied up at the exhibit. But a letter from the Códice art gallory’s director, Juanita Bermúdez, assured the paper that the dog escaped on the third day of the show. Habacuc refused to confirm or deny the death.

The stir caused by the story did not end with the petition. Costa Rican animal lovers, of whom there are many, studied a possible criminal action even though the alleged cruelty occurred in another country. Another blog picked up our article, resulting in numerous comments ranging from outrage to an “it’s just a dog” shrug.

The petition came from the Internet page www.petitio… and drew signatures from Spain, Brazil, Portugal, the United States, Belgium, Italy, Germany and, of course, Costa Rica.