Aspen Art Museum Removes Turtles from Controversial Exhibition
- August 26, 2014 11:07
Cold weather has forced the Aspen Art Museum to remove African sulcata tortoises from a controversial art exhibition on the roof deck of the newly built museum.
The tortoises, carrying iPads attached with silicone epoxy, were part of “Moving Ghost Town” by Cai Guo-Qiang, scheduled to run through Oct. 5. The veterinarian in charge of the tortoises recommended their removal from the outdoor exhibit after temperatures dropped to a chilly 44 degrees on Sunday morning.
Nearly 18,000 people signed petitions to halt the use of the tortoises as iPad mounts in the installation. Now the trio of tortoises have been moved to an undisclosed conservation site.
“The AAM firmly believes in our institutional role of providing a wide platform for artists to realize their creative vision. Moving Ghost Town is no exception. We stand by the artist to ensure that vision is honored, and we are glad that this exhibition has generated such meaningful dialogue and educational awareness,” the museum said in a statement.
