Banksy’s NYC Pet Shop Is Art With A Message
Filed under: animals, events: nyc — Michael d'Estries @ 9:30 am
October 13th 2008
This may very well be the oddest pet shop you’ve ever seen. Chicken McNuggets act like real chickens, but drink from Sweet ‘N Sour sauce. A suicidal Tweety bird rocks back and forth in his small cage as all his feathers fall out. A leopard sits perched on a tree from one perspective, but actually happens to be a faux-fur coat from another.
Said the designer– simply known as Banksy: “New Yorkers don’t care about art, they care about pets. So I’m exhibiting them instead,” he said. “I wanted to make art that questioned our relationship with animals and the ethics and sustainability of factory farming, but it ended up as chicken nuggets singing. I took all the money I made exploiting an animal in my last show and used it to fund a new show about the exploitation of animals.”
Check out the video of the leopard coat below. I hope more New Yorkers get the opportunity to see this incredible — and thought-provoking display.
My friend went to see this and got pissed when he came out and saw someone with a live snake charging people to get their picture taken with it.
He though it was sadly ironic someone was exploiting animals outside and exhibit about exploiting animals.
I can’t wait to see it, but i think it’s sad that a lot of people won’t really “get” it. Hopefully, some people will.
I’m nowhere near NYC, but I would love to see more of this exhibit! It’s so sad, but I think it would be very interesting to see.
Do you know where and for how long the show is?
The Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill:
http://thevillagepetstoreandcharcoalgrill.com/
No.89, Seventh Avenue South,
Greenwich Village, New York
(Between West 4th and Bleeker)
Nearest subway: Christopher Street
Open 10am – 12pm daily
until October 31st
(also viewable at night)
brilliant. much much more brilliant than that loser who displays work of dead animals (not cool)
Thanks!