Don’t Trust Me - by Adel Abdessemed
The San Francisco Art Institute halted the controversial solo exhibit of Adel Abdessemed last Saturday due to concerns of violence from outraged citizens and animal rights activists.
“…the show included a series of video loops of animals being bludgeoned to death with a sledgehammer in front of a brick wall. The animals killed included a pig, goat, deer, ox, horse and sheep” - link
I have yet to find one of the videos but I have seen many graphic stills of the videos and that was enough. If you feel you need to see some of these - Adel AbDessemed Don’t Trust Me video stills. The controversial exhibit, Don’t Trust Me, has sparked conversation around the world. The concern that many have is that the artist crossed a moral line that should not have been crossed. The artists draws attention to the disconnect that many people have about the process of getting their meat to the table, a valid concern that should be addressed. My problem however, is that this could still be done effectively without actually killing these animals.
So, what do you think?
Update: 3/4/2008
@rodeo - it is unclear what Adel’s level of participation in this was in the killings. He leaves the viewer confused as to what they are watching. This provoked animal rights activists to want the show closed. Adel also fails to relay his message to the viewer, if there is one. If this is an activist exhibit, he needs to be clear with his message. Video footage of matters like these is a powerful tool for change if used effectively. The Discerning Brute says it well,
“documenting animal cruelty is one of the most powerful tools animal advocates have. Look at the Hallmark beef recall case. It’s not that animal advocates can’t handle seeing these images - quite the contrary - it’s because of these images many of us have become animal advocates in the first place.”
Adel purposefully leaves the message ambiguous and fails to separate himself from the atrocity, but why? Is he psychotic, looking for attention at the expense of these animals, or something else?
Tags: performance
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:50 am
I think the artist definitely crossed a moral line here. His point was valid, but the way in which he chose to get it across basically makes him a hypocrite. How can anyone take you seriously when you’ve become something worse than the problem you try to highlight? At least animals killed for the meat industry are killed for food. It’s something beyond that to kill them for his “art,” no matter what the point. Plus, at this point, no one cares what he was trying to say; the message has been overshadowed by the way in which he chose to convey it.
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:50 am
Once again, the only kind of “modern art” that makes it to the mainstream press is this kind of bullshit shock-art, while the REAL ARTISTS are ignored en masse. I deplore anyone who would show such a thing, especially under the guise of art, and this so-called “artist” should drown in slaughtered pig entrails a la one of those “Saw” movies. And we can film it and call it “art”!
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:05 am
This is outrageous! Artist’s can’t simply do whatever they want in the name of art and I can’t believe the gallery actually accepted the work.
Here is a reaction to the exhibit on youtube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UH1bwYlEhl4
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:18 am
Here is a copy of the letter KRONOS Art Gallery sent to both The Walter & Mcbean Gallery in San Francisco which held the show, and the David Zwirner Gallery in NYC (which is unfortunate to represent adel abdessemed)…
Are you kidding me with your bullshit blurb around this so-called “artist’s” horrendous exhibit (rightfully canceled–but the question is raised as to what “gallery” would be so fucked-up as to entertain this as “art” in the first place)? Instead of an exhibit and words of praise this freak should be arrested and forced to undergo psychological examination. People who kill defenseless animals without remorse, especially in a ritualistic way, are not artists but SOCIOPATHS! It just proves once again that the so-called high-end big city art galleries have their heads so far up their asses that they wouldn’t know art if it bludgeoned THEM to death!… Now THERE’S an idea!
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:02 am
A five-second video of adel abdessemed blowing himself up wouldn’t be art either but somehow would be appropriate! KRONOS encourages the “artist” in this regard…
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:18 am
Actually blowing himself up would be more appropriate and humane than what he did to those animals.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Amen!
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:05 pm
what exactly is it that AA did to the animals? this isn’t clear to me. i ve yet to find a text that states that he killed anything. attach links if you’ve read a text that says otherwise.
April 4th, 2008 at 6:30 am
@rodeo -see the update to the story for a response to your question, and thanks for posting.
April 15th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
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