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[ComputerMKII]

Belgian Artist Jan Fabre Is on the Lam After Cat-Throwing Performance

If Jan Fabre thought that you couldn’t go wrong with a cat video, he had another thing coming. The provocative Belgian artist now fears for his safety and is spending each night at a different address after animal rights activists objected to a filmed performance he organized at Antwerp’s city hall, Libération reports.

The performance involved people tossing cats up into the air, with the animals meowing as if in distress and at times landing heavily on the steps. It was based on an earlier performance that Fabre re-created for a French crew that is making a film about him. Part of the video was posted on the internet (and is embedded below), and complaints were filed by Luc Bungeneers, Antwerp’s deputy mayor for animal well-being, and the animal rights organization GAIA.

According to Libération, Fabre issued the following apology on the Flemish-language television station VRT: “I am deeply sorry that the cats landed badly. I want to apologize to cat lovers. It was not my intention to injure or hurt the cats. The cats are fine.” However, in a separate interview on the French-language station RTBF, he stated that the incident was “sensationalized” and “exaggerated.”

According to Belgian newspaper La Libre Belgique, Fabre has received 20,000 hate emails and was physically attacked by seven men armed with a club while jogging in the park. Although many media outlets are reporting that the artist is now under police protection, this is apparently not true. As the crew continues filming, “we will simply be on the alert in case of any demonstrations,” the Antwerp police department told La Libre Belgique. “But Mr. Fabre has not yet filed a complaint.”

Watch video of the making of Fabre’s cat-throwing project:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iZqX4AUJV8

http://blogs.artinfo.com/artintheai...is-on-the-lam-after-cat-throwing-performance/

Brought to you by the man responsible for this (NSFW):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v02W2QMLHUQ

 

[Hoo-doo]

I hope they throw his dumb ass off some stairs to compensate.

 

[Alchemy]

Can I beat up elderly people for the sake of art?

 

[Ferrio]

 

[out0v0rder]

some people are insane. it's just a couple of cats. not even dogs or babies or anything, but cats.

 

[Count Dookkake]

I don't know much about art, but I know what I don't like.

 

[Takao]

“I am deeply sorry that the cats landed badly. I want to apologize to cat lovers. It was not my intention to injure or hurt the cats."

and yet he did it on the stairs where more likely than not the cats weren't going to have a nice landing

 

[OnPoint]

A living, breathing creature should never be the subject to stress for the sake of art without full understanding and consent.

 

[Munin]

“I am deeply sorry that the cats landed badly. I want to apologize to cat lovers. It was not my intention to injure or hurt the cats."

and yet he did it on the stairs where more likely than not the cats weren't going to have a nice landing

It's part of his vision man can't you see it, a flat surface would totally ruin the message

 

[fallagin]

Wow, that is seriously messed up. No its not okay to hurt animals for the sake of "art".

 

[dejay]

Screw him and his "art". Go paint a daisy or something.

 

[IHaveCandy]

I wonder why those cats don't run off after being thrown.

 

[mr_nothin]

The 1st thing that pops out in that video is a titty. Glad I came in this thread for viewing of stated ugly tit.

 

[.GqueB.]

We'll all forget soon enough. Didn't some guy starve a dog as an art exhibition a couple years ago?

 

[thetrin]

We'll all forget soon enough. Didn't some guy starve a dog as an art exhibition a couple years ago?

Yeah, it was a homeless dog he picked up, and then chained up and didn't feed. It was to make a point. My guess is, that point is that he's a giant asshole.

 

[aku:jiki]

Man, I hate "high art." It's just a giant circle of scams. I'm all for expression and artistry, but when you do publicity stunts like tossing around cats or having naked people do random, dumb shit on stage, you're just a con artist trying to make an easy buck while confused "art critics" (i.e. even more useless people) applaud because they're afraid of coming off as not "getting it."

 

[yana]

That's not art. It's a sport.

 

[Willenium]

glad that art is finally dead

 

[ComputerMKII]

Man, I hate "high art." It's just a giant circle of scams. I'm all for expression and artistry, but when you do publicity stunts like tossing around cats or having naked people do random, dumb shit on stage, you're just a con artist trying to make an easy buck while confused "art critics" (i.e. even more useless people) applaud because they're afraid of coming off as not "getting it."

This is what it reminds me of (from Asterix and the Cauldron):

 

[Anustart]

Dude looks like Maury Povich.

 

[TheSeks]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_60-dfYCcUIw/TQ4YlGYWJSI/AAAAAAAAAiM/deOVBX2cpeI/s1600/5+Salvador+Dali%25282%2529.jpg

That's actually kinda awesome.

 

[ComputerMKII]

We'll all forget soon enough. Didn't some guy starve a dog as an art exhibition a couple years ago?

It was a hoax.

 

[dark_chris]

A living, breathing creature should never be the subject to stress for the sake of art without full understanding and consent.

Exactly, I dont care if its "art". Its a goddamn living creature.
I also remember a guy who had a dog starving in an exhibit for art..

*edit*
NVM.

 

[Boss Doggie]

I wonder when anon will get him. They hate animal abuse, particularly cats.

 

[Lionel Mandrake]

I've heard about this...

Spoiler

Dude's a dick

 

[xbhaskarx]

Damien Hirst’s bisected animals

 

[Kammie]

Video pisses me off. Not only are they subjecting the cats to stress and possible injury, but they're fucking them up psychologically. They'll probably be afraid of humans after this.

Where do the cats come from?

 

[Andrew.]

 

[Canis lupus]

Some activists followed and beat him up.

 

[Yuripaw]

some people are insane. it's just a couple of cats. not even dogs or babies or anything, but cats.

I fucking hate this kind of mentality...yes, they're cats...living beings capable of feelings such as fear, hate, sadness, happiness and love. An animal's life is not worth less than a human's lives in my opinion when I have had cats and dogs that given me such joy, and I have loved very much. My cats are like my babies, and you would get thrown down a flight of stairs if you threw any of my cats onto a flight of stairs.

 

[Nicktendo86]

He should be arrested for cruelty to animals, simple as. Fucking moron.

Edit: just watched the video, absolutely disgusting. Deserves everything he gets.

 

[deejay8595]

1:08 in the video lol!!!

 

[Wiktor]

Once again we get a proof of how ahead of it's time Monty Python was:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9nGyPz9uT0

 

[SmithnCo]

Burn him at the stake.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

some people are insane. it's just a couple of cats. not even dogs or babies or anything, but cats.

you're an idiot. and furthermore you somehow putting cats below dogs is a fucking joke as well. like it makes it ok to toss cats in the air but not a dog? idiot.

 

[ckohler]

Good lord, I've heard about this. Cat juggling!

 

[Log4Girlz]

Should have put the pussy on a pedestal.

 

[Malvolio]

Navin Johnson would not be impressed.

 

[victreeb3l]

what is the fucking point of this?

its so stupid looking and some parts looked like the cats were hit hard. fuck this guy, glad he got his ass whooped a few times

 

[scar tissue]

Wow, that is seriously messed up. No its not okay to hurt animals for the sake of "art".

Seriously. This is like the goldfish blender expo all over again.

Fuck this guy. I'm not screaming for his blood, but I sure as hell wouldn't weep if he got his ass whooped.

 

[Herbspiceguy]

Not as bad as I thought it would be. Still very insensetive and it angers me a little watching the vid. As an "art project" I don't understand it at all, let alone people who funded/facilitated this project.

 

[echoshifting]

Was kinda hoping the title was referring to cat reactions, not people. Now that would have been something. I know I woulda come down claws at the ready.

 

[jb1234]

some people are insane. it's just a couple of cats. not even dogs or babies or anything, but cats.

You're a jackass. I love my cats.

 

[Cloudy]

WTF is wrong with people?

 

[yepyepyep]

Conceptual art is the worst. Bunch of hacks hiding behind a wall of controversy to draw attention away from their lack of original thought or ability.

 

[Curtisaur]

Damien Hirst’s bisected animals

Reminds me of The Cell, the scene where the horse was split into sections (which I guess was influenced by Hirst, huh). I don't remember anything else from the movie but I remember that.

 

[SmithnCo]

Reminds me of The Cell, the scene where the horse was split into sections. I don't remember anything else from the movie but I remember that.

I think that sequence is directly based on that.

In fact, a lot of scenes from the cell are just ripped from paintings and such.

 

[Count Dookkake]

Reminds me of The Cell, the scene where the horse was split into sections. I don't remember anything else from the movie but I remember that.

Considering there was litigation over much of the art in that film, requiring the producers to add acknowledgements to the DVD credits, you are not alone in that.

 

[Curtisaur]

Considering there was litigation over much of the art in that film, requiring the producers to add acknowledgements to the DVD credits, you are not alone in that.

Yeah I saw on the Flickr that it was influenced by Hirst, edited that into my post.

Kinda wanna go back and watch the movie for more of the references. Is it worth it?

 

[Count Dookkake]

Yeah I saw on the Flickr that it was influenced by Hirst, edited that into my post.

Kinda wanna go back and watch the movie for more of the references. Is it worth it?

It's more interesting that INCEPTION, but it's no DREAMSCAPE.