A few days ago we sent a letter of protest to the Fondation Beyeler, see below, but have yet to receive a reply.
We ask you to send a letter with a similar message to both the Foundation Beyeler, to the Riehen local council and to the website Artribune which is praising Cattelan’s opus: below you will find the text in English and in Italian, and all addresses.

“Once again we are presented with bad taste passed off as art” declares Sonny Richichi, of IHP. “the exhibition of headless, lifeless bodies is unacceptable in any civilised society and scorns suffering and death, not to mention lack of respect for common sensibilities. As is well documented, horses suffer terribly in all stages of their journey towards slaughter, from their transportation to a violent and what is frequently a slow death after long, agonising minutes: to treat their bodies in such a way is not exactly a witty artistic statement, it is more a vulgar whim.
This is all the more stupefying when it is called an art form. We do not and cannot believe that culture has descended to such levels, has taken such backward steps. For these reasons we call on the mobilisation of public opinion to put an end to these exhibitions, as in the case a few months ago of the Zabrinskie Point gallery in Geneva, which was obliged to close early the exhibition of a dead horse hanging from the ceiling”.


TEST TO BE SENT (ITALIAN AND ENGLISH VERSION)

Fondation Beyeler
info@fondationbeyeler.ch

Gemeindeverwaltung Riehen
gemeinde.riehen@riehen.ch

Artribune.com
redazione@artribune.com
c.piccolo@artribune.com

Egregi signori,
L’esposizione di Maurizio Cattelan - dove i cadaveri di cinque cavalli giacciono penzoloni da un muro - rappresenta, a mio parere, una scena di cattivo gusto più vicina ad una trovata pubblicitaria che ad un’opera d’arte:
http://www.fondationbeyeler.ch/en/exhibitions/maurizio-cattelan/introduction

Non credo sia difficile trovare veri artisti nel panorama internazionale, quindi vi chiedo perché puntare su una misera strategia di marketing come questa, anziché su una offerta artistica degna di questo nome.
Spero che vogliate tenere conto di questa lettera e chiudere anticipatamente la macabra esposizione.
Distinti saluti.


I’m writing in reference to the exhibit by Maurizio Cattelan - which represents the cadaver of five horses hanging from the wall:
http://www.fondationbeyeler.ch/en/exhibitions/maurizio-cattelan/introduction

I find this spectacle to be brutal and nearer to a form of bad publicity than a work of art.
I do not think it is difficult to find true artists on the international scene and I’m therefore asking you to explain why are you utilizing a market strategy in disgustingly poor taste, instead of offering a real work of art.
I hope that you will take my disgust and indignation into account and close this macabre exhibition immediately.
Sincerely yours,


The comment published in Artribune.com