You may have heard about the latest show at Ramiken Crucible, the offbeat gallery at 389 Grand Street. The blogosphere is buzzing about “Ideal Pole,” which features two caged baby white tigers! The group installation was curated by Norwegian artist Bjarne Melgaard. Gallerist talked to Brooklyn-based designer Ms. Fitz, who designed custom-made collars for Sonia and Tania, the baby tigers. Apparently, they’ve been somewhat uncooperative. Ms. Fitz explains:
We had a performance piece where I styled the tigers in their capes and collars. They tried to eat them, but that’s OK! They’re tigers! We’ll be doing it again at 6 p.m. this Saturday. They looked beautiful! But it was also a bit of a statement about how style can be liberating as well as restrictive.
The tigers are on loan from animal rescue specialists Stump Hill Farm in Ohio. As Gallerist notes, “the show has a number of eye-catching aspects—brightly colored walls, fancy adult diapers, Richard Kern photos (a topless model who poses with needles, a condom and a substance that appears to be semen).” The tigers will be on display through June 3rd.
Endangered animals shouldn’t be hipster art fodder. This pissed me off.
Some people really have a very sinister twisted idea of art. This looks more like a stunt to get themselves more publicity. You dressing up tigers and call it art? I dress up my poodle, but I don’t declare it art. Or should I?…….
how about let the tiger eat the artist!
Agreed.
What is the point of keeping these creatures penned up here in a gallery for the weekend? Art? What?
I don’t get it….
Purportedly they have a “trainer” who accompanies them from OH.
All I keep thinking of is Chris Rock’s comments on the outcry after Siegried (or Roy) was terribly mauled by one of their “performing” tigers: “that tiger didn’t go crazy, that tiger went TIGER!”.
Oh very nice…NOT! Two caged white tiger cubs….an endangered species….in a small cage on display for the benefit of gawkers and curiosity seekers. And we are supposed to call this art? More like animal cruelty.
This is awesome…! How did Gallery Goer miss it?!
Animal rescue specialists? Try fact-checking! That decrepit roadside zoo has been cited by the feds for not maintaining even the most minimal care standards for animals. It’s a matter of public record – go check the USDA’s site.
lestigers—— wrong wrong wrong. Inspectors generally find small errors in all zoos big and small. That’s like saying, “that guy got a speeding ticket once”. They are a USDA licensed zoo, not a roadside zoo which is unlicensed. You said it yourself! They bust their butts making sure those animals are well cared for. Someone has to!
THOSE TIGER CUBS WERE ACQIURED FROM A FARM THAT HAS BEEN CITED BY THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE U.S. FOR A LONG LIST OF ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES.
IT IS INCREDIBLY INHUMANE TO LEAVE TIGER CUBS IN SUCH A SMALL ENCLOSURE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. THESE CUBS WERE ALSO TORN FROM THEIR MOTHER TOO EARLY AND MAY DIE.
I can’t believe this story was posted without recognizing the blatant animal abuse involved here.
What kind of legitimate rescue would “loan” two baby animals for a circus show like this? Stump Hill Farm in Ohio, where these tigers are from, does not meet Animal Welfare Act (AWA) standards and has been cited numerous times for animal neglect by the USDA/APHIS. Ohio has very loose animal welfare laws, allowing this substandard animal breeding farm to stay open:
http://911animalabuse.com/2012/05/04/stump-hill-farm/
Stump Hill breeds, it is no “rescue specialist.” The gallery should do its homework before allowing such abuse. There are more tigers in the US than in the wild. They are bred, babies separated from mothers when the babies are “handable,” and the mothers are either re-bred or killed for parts which are illegaly smuggled into China. Unlike breeding abuse which goes on with elephants who have a 22 month gestation for zoo display (including separation way too young and should not be done in the first place), breeding of big cats is fairly fast with many cubs to a littler. If you see a baby big cat at the mall, this is from an abusive owner, no responsible person would do it, let alone a true rescue. Plus white tigers are an anomaly which carries genetic defects. For every “perfect” white you see, there were others born with defects (like hairlip) which were killed at birth. The breeding of exotics needs to be stopped and kudos to the Lo-Down for exposing this abuse. The so-called artist should be run out on a rail too.