Art ≠ Ethics

ART ≠ETHICS

by maggie cooper

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This is a case study that challenges why museums do not set ethic standards and a look at a selection of artists that take on society’s code of ethics while pushing for causes.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHAT ARE ETHICS..........5 WHAT’S IN A CODE OF ETHICS?..........6 IS THERE UNETHICAL ART?..........10 HOW DO ARTISTS HANDLE ETHICS?..........11 CASE STUDIES..........13 IS THERE A SOLUTION?..........24

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WHAT ARE ETHICS? The Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines ethics as, “systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior.1 Applied ethics involves controversial issues such…as animal rights.” However, there is not one standardization of ethics and morals across humankind, which results in varying standards and beliefs of how morals are applied in society. Instead, moral relativism, the idea that moral judgements are true or false only relative to factors such as a culture, prevails as an accepted view of ethics.2 Because art museums represent the many cultures and belief systems of humankind, many museums and critics believe they are exempt from any overall standard of ethical code and instead can abide by a moral relativism that allows everything from the portrayal of disturbing or insensitive material to the mistreatment of artistic sources or subjects. However, while cultural differences may affect what is displayed or prioritized in a museum, museums have to abide by some sort of prevailing root code of ethics. There is no “free pass” especially when it comes to the mistreatment of animals and humans just for the sake of art.

Art critics use the term “big ethics” to describe ethical issues that make headlines and are emotional benchmarks for museums, such as stolen artifacts, conservation, executive abuse of resources or privilege, treasurehunting, and more.3 However, there are less frequently-discussed aspects of ethics that artists and museums have to be willing to examine and consider 1 “Ethics.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, http://www.iep.utm.edu/ethics/ 2 “Moral Relativism.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, http://www.iep.utm.edu/moral-re/ 3 Witchey, Holly. “What’s In a Code of Ethics?” (Art21 Magazine, 27 Apr. 2010), magazine.art21.org/2010/04/27/what%E2%80%99s-in-a-code-of-ethics/#.Wg3-Y7Q-cdZ.

6 - most of which have been largely ignored by museum institutions in the past Recent events suggest that museums need to treat research on the ethics of art as integral to their work. There is little support and research into the ethical aspects of art done by many of the world’s museums despite the fact that ethical questions about art arise on a weekly basis. The main problem seems to be that there is no support within museums themselves for ethics to be a central part of the mission of the organization. The international art magazine, Apollo, explains, “While museums may have codes of ethics that that aim (with varying degrees of success) to regulate professional conduct, they lack internal institutional support for sustained research into these pressing and fundamental issues.

Adopting the ethics of art as a core area of research should be embraced as part of the museum mission.”4

what’s in a code of ethics?

Taking art seriously requires taking ethics seriously—as sustained and critical research. Placing an art label on a problematic object to explain its source does not give clearance to treat or represent any subject harshly and can be seen as a band-aid for a larger problem. A problematic piece that includes mistreating an animal or human being for the sake of an artwork, such as a recent piece of art where a Costa Rican artist starved a dog to its death for an art exhibit that strived to test the reaction of the public.5 Art is deeply connected to various facets of culture which requires the public to question cultural institutions in their handling of art and the topics they choose. Ethical matters in art forces us to examine and resist injustices, reflect on our own vulnerabilities, and work on 4 Matthes, Erich Hatala. “Why Museums Need Their Own Ethics Departments.” (Apollo Magazine, 26 Sept. 2017), www.apollo-magazine.com/why-museums-need-their-own-ethics-departments/.

5 Couzens, Gerard, “Outrage at ‘starvation’ of a stray dog for art.” The Guardian, March 29 2008, https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2008/mar/30/art.spain

7 stressors over identity and power. Therefore, art has a responsibility to exhibit ethical treatment of subjects during the commission and creation of art, rather than an afterthe-fact acknowledgment of the piece as problematic.

Despite best intentions, the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and The International Council of Museums (ICOM) may be contributing to this problem. Although they set the standard for the development of museums and museum professionals, they do not enforce many of their guidelines. The AAM Code of Ethics document is written in a narrative style that frames ethical insights much like a parent who would want their children to know about the best possible ethical behavior.6 However, that does not mean that the parent is explaining how to uphold this behavior. It was most recently updated in 2000, leaving almost an eighteen-year gap in standards. In today’s society that now focuses on where our food, belongings and even art comes from (e.g. looting) this leaves a long, questionable span. The document refers to “widely accepted ethics,” but does not define what these ethics may be. It refers to these as principles that museums should use as reference to create their code of ethics. The code also references public engagement, collections, programs, and public benefit, but does not go into specifics. Revised in 2004, ICOM released a statement of ethics for museums.7 This code reflects ideas as a foundation that are generally accepted by the museum community. Although it is set out to be taken as law, it expects that museums will go beyond these minimum standards. In other words, these are guidelines for desirable practice. The council explains that certain standards are defined by law, but does not go into details as to how, and to use these as a basis for developing standards.8

On a smaller level, the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) developed a statement of professional standards and ethics.9 The organization does touch and enforce topics that larger organizations do not. Its focus includes history professionals, history volunteers and museums. If these are violated, AAMD explains that members will be disciplined by reprimand, suspension, or expulsion.10 Within the association, the topic of Professional Practices in Art Museums was first published in 1971 and 6 “Code of Ethics for Museums .” American Alliance of Museums, 2000, www.aam-us.org/resources/ethics-standards-and-best-practices/code-of-ethics.

7 “Code of Ethics.” International Council of Museums , 2004, icom.museum/the-vision/code-of-ethics/#intro 8 Ibid, icom.museum/the-vision/code-of-ethics/#intro 9 Yerkovich, Sally. “A Practical Guide to Museum Ethics.” A Practical Guide to Museum Ethics, Rowman Et Littlefield, 2016, pp. 181–199.

10 “Professional Practices in Art Museums.” Association of Art museum Directors, 2011, 18.

8 is revised every ten years. Under the governance appendix, it states that the board must establish and maintain policies regarding the intersection of interest and ethics.11 These must be transparent and reviewed regularly by the board, staff, and its volunteers. These policies are dictated similar to standard business policies and processes governing human resources, collections, finances and fundraising. The Association of Museum Art Directors does suggest that there is a need for museums to explore potential ethical concerns beyond what is outlined in their recommendations, and discusses potential consequences if the code of ethics is violated, something that is not defined by ICOM or AAM. Perhaps because AAMD is significantly smaller they are able to lay out actions and ramifications.

However, larger institutions should follow suit and not only define but provide consequences if the code is not enforced.

Recently, the Guggenheim has raised red flags with an exhibit that was quickly deemed animal abuse. Many have questioned why the museum ever considered allowing this exhibition, “Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World,” to be brought to the museum, and several of the works from the exhibition have been pulled from public viewing.12 One video work recorded the performance, “Dogs That Cannot Touch Each Other,” shows pit bulls, who were trained to fight, tethered to treadmills that face each other. The video distinctly shows the distressed animals being forced to run, struggling to reach each other until they are panting.

Another work titled, “Theatre of the World” includes a table with a translucent dome. Inside the dome were insects, reptiles, cockroaches and more, some of which survived the exhibit, some died of exhaustion and still others were eaten. These types of exhibits raise the question: what does the Guggenheim define as ethical in their code of ethics? Interestingly enough, there is no code of ethics to be found for the U.S. location. This may sim11 Yerkovich, Sally. Pp. 181–199.

12 Cascone, Sarah. “The Guggenheim’s Massive China Show Is Already Attracting Criticism From Animal Rights Groups.” Artnet News, Artnet News, 25 Sept. 2017, news.artnet.com/

9 ply mean that it is not visible to the public. However, in the Bilbao, Spain location, the public is able to access the code and it is clearly stated. They explain that the museum “makes every effort to act in an ethical, socially responsible manner….”13 Even though this stated goal is helpful, it still raises the issue of the definition of what is defined by the museum as ethical. – there is no clearly-stated definition given by the Guggenheim Foundation. It is stated that the Foundation will be sensitive to ethical violations and concerns as they relate to artwork and subjects, but never goes into detail as to what this could possibly mean. Is this policy specific to the Spanish location? Does this include examining an exhibition topic that may need to be censored?

What does sensitivity mean when it comes to artworks that may mistreat live animals and or humans? Under the section that lays out principles about how exhibitions should be handled, there is a mention of wellbeing when it comes to live animals, but clearly that was not considered in the New York exhibits. The animals were considered art for art’s sake. Many museums do not want to touch on ethical matters for the most part because of artistic freedom, but museums, no matter how they are funded, have a primary moral responsibility as a member of human society to the public and the subjects depicted to function ethically.

11 Yerkovich, Sally. Pp. 181–199.

12 Cascone, Sarah. “The Guggenheim’s Massive China Show Is Already Attracting Criticism From Animal Rights Groups.” Artnet News, Artnet News, 25 Sept. 2017, news.artnet.com/ 13 “Code of Ethics and Best Practices.” Guggenheim Bilbao, 2011, 4.

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IS THERE UNETHICAL ART?

One likely reason for the absolution of many museum’s or artist’s less-thanethical behaviors or works is the idea adopted by the art world that there is no existence of unethical art. Art21 writer and art dealer Edward Winkleman argues that “to suggest that ‘art’ can be either ethical or unethical is to personify an object. We don’t talk about the ethics of morality of a hammer or an ocean. We may discuss the ethics of what humans do with a hammer or what they do to an ocean, but ethics are a means of measuring human behaviors.”14 This may be applicable to the everyday painting because it is an intimate object, but if an artist puts any living being in harm’s way, does that take away from the idea of art as an object? Winkleman argues that no object can abide by the norms or values of a particular community - requiring art to do so allows the public to judge whether or not the object is good or bad art. Artists, he suggests, can and should be ethical beings within a society, but art itself is not human.15 This seems to suggest the idea that the aesthetic value of art is favored regardless of whether it is ethical or not, and brings to mind the question of whether many of these art spectacles that include unwilling participants, such as an animal, are just to incite a reaction rather than convey an idea or feeling. Is the art world able to be hypocritical because of the lack of the attention given to ethics due to the excuse of artistic freedom and expression?

14 Winkleman, Edward. “The Nonexistence of ‘Unethical Art.’” Art21 Magazine, 26 Mar. 2010, magazine.art21.org/2010/03/26/the-nonexistence-of-unethical-art/#.Wg397bQ-cdY. 15 Ibid, magazine.art21.org/2010/03/26/the-nonexistence-of-unethical-art/#.Wg397bQ-cdY.

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HOW DO ARTISTS HANDLE ETHICS? Given the excuse of artistic freedom, artists can openly handle ethical considerations and present the subject matter in a biased way. Artists are not an institution that needs to attract a wide, diverse audience. Each person has different viewpoints and definitions of what ethics mean as well and will react to a museum’s code and subject matter in their own way. The European National Museums found in their Summary Policy Report that “national museums often produce narratives and philosophies that adopt a moral position and test the ethical beliefs of visitors. They also seek to develop particular responses such as empathy, a sense of good and evil, and justice. Visitors can perceive these as intellectual arguments.”16 The individual artist’s way of portraying ethics and morals is then communicated to the observer as almost an argument that not only the artist, but also the institution, is making. While these responses of the viewer and visitor are based on objects and histories, these histories can be interpreted differently as each person understands and remembers the past in their own way. This may obstruct how ethics are formed within an institution and demonstrate how the artists are able to present topics such as animal justice.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to creating a code of ethics. Ethics deal with what is right and wrong and how each should be enforced. This means that museums then, especially national ones, are critical representations of national values.17 They have a responsibility to balance the display ethical work as well as represent local cultures.

16 Aronsson, Peter, et al. National Museums Making Histories in a Diverse Europe. Linköping University Electronic Press, 2012, National Museums Making Histories in a Diverse Europe, liu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:573632/FULLTEXT01.pdf.

17 Ibid, liu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:573632/FULLTEXT01.pdf.

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These artists are able to have freedom because they are not always bound by an institutions code. They have the liberty of expressing their opinions. This does mean that free speech allowed the artist who subjected animals to abusive actions such as tethering dogs to a treadmill at The Guggenheim, to express his opinions through the exhibition, but it crosses an ethical, inhumane, line particularly because it was in a cultural institution. They have the ability to challenge opinions openly because they are creating it for a certain audience. Their work is still equally important as they are creating a dialogue that many museums are afraid to take on. It should also be noted that unlike many controversial artworks, these artists are not harming any being (human or animal) to create a discussion and raise awareness.

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PROFILES: CASE STUDIES OF ARTISTS WHO CHALLENGE THE EVERYDAY MUSEUM AND PUSH FOR DIFFERENT CAUSES AND ARGUMENTS WITHIN THE REALM OF ANIMAL RIGHTS. THESE ARTISTs CONNECT WITH THE PUBLIC IN WAYS OTHERS CANNOT.

14 PROFILE 1:JACQUELINE TRAiDE x lush cosmetics

Jacqueline Traide, 29, volunteered in 2012 to partner with cosmetics company Lush in a protest against animal testing.18 The artist did a performance piece where she was subjected to similar techniques done in animals in labs. They dragged her along with a rope around her neck and pushed her down on a bench. Then, it was feeding time and you could tell in the video she was horrified. First, they stretched her mouth open with two metal hooks strapped around her head. The man in the white coat grabbed hold of her ponytail and tugged it until she tilted backwards. By the time he had finished spooning food down her throat, she was choking, gagging and trying to break free. For the next ten hours, the artist was given injections, had her skin abraded and smothered in lotions and potions – then endured having a strip of her hair shaved off in front of stunned onlookers in one of Britain’s busiest streets.

18 Zimmerman, Neetzan. “Artist Undergoes ‘Torture’ In Front of London Shoppers For Anti-Animal-Testing Stunt.” Gawker, 26 Apr. 2012, gawker.com/5905506/artist-undergoes-torture-in-front-of-london-shoppers-for-anti-animal-testing-stunt.

15 PROFILE 2:dan witz

Street artist Dan Wtiz creates subtle but shocking images that use grills, windows, and air vents of old buildings. One of his most famous works, ‘Empty the Cages,’ forces the viewer to think about the conditions faced by animals in the meat industry.

The images were plastered around Smithfield Market, City Road, in London.19 Chicken claws, pig heads and other parts of animals were plastered on buildings. The 30 pieces in total were accompanied by QR codes to allow the viewer to read more about the issues. On being asked to create these the artist says, “I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

It’s truly unconscionable what these corporations get away with, day in and day out with seeming impunity. If encountering my pieces brings this topic to anyone’s attention, then art matters, because life matters, and I’m satisfied.”

19 “Empty the Cages.” Peta, www.emptythecages.org.uk/.

16 PROFILE 3:jonathan horowitz

Alongside a photo album and guide, Horowitz created a heavyweight exhibiton on the side of a meat packing building, LaFreida Meats (a former meat-packing plant).20 The artist aims to normalize the idea of meat-free living through his work. He compiled a collection of 200 celebrity vegetarians and vegans, as well as a video installation featuring Paul and Linda McCartney arguing for veganism through modern culture and living.

20 Brown, Gavin. “Jonathan Horowitz.” Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, www.gavinbrown.biz/artists/jonathan_horowitz/works.

17 PROFILE 4:alice newstead

British performance artist and animal rights activist, Alice Newstead, painted herself silver then suspended herself from hooks to protest the hunting and fishing of sharks that are threatened with extinction yearly.21 The artist allowed the hooks to puncture her shoulder with blood streaming down her back and she was hung for fifteen minutes.

21 Farmer, Ben. “Artist Hangs Herself from Hooks in Protest at Shark Treatment.� The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 3 Sept. 2008, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2675452/Artist-hangs-herself-from-hooks-in-protest-at-shark-treatment.html.

18 PROFILE 5:asher jay

Asher Jay is a digital artist that uses her design skills for awareness. In Africa, Jay used blood as the focal point to bring light to rhino poaching. She made screensavers that showed a rhino dripping with blood. In China, she integrated elephant tusks into Chinese characters to encourage the halt of ivory buying while these enormous photos were projected on billboards in Times Square, NYC. She also focuses on the ticking time bomb that is global warming. On her focus of poaching she notes, “I wanted to visualize the scale and brutality of the crisis and use art to tell the blood ivory story. Each year, 35,000 elephants are slaughtered; that’s one every 15 minutes.”22

22 “About Asher Jay.” Asher Jay, www.asherjay.com/about-asher-jay/.

19 PROFILE 6:rocky lewycky

‘Is It Necessary?’ blends sculpture, repetition and ritual performance which are all signatures of the artists work.24 In a startling, political presentation, Lewycky questions the brutality and uniformity of factory farming in the United States.

Performed at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & Art History, the sculptor entered the museum daily. He would choose a ceramic animal from the perfectly-alinged rows of hundreds of animals on wood pallets. Then, he placed it on a gold-leaf pedestal. Then it is smashed. Choosing a political route, Lewycky hoped to shed light on factory farming as he began to evolve his voice as an artist and social activist.

23 “Is It Necessary?” Rocky Lewycky, www.rocksart.com/is-it-necessary/.

20 PROFILE 7:gale hart

‘Why Not Eat Your Pet,’ featured the atrocities that are inflicted on animals, primarily focusing on the inconsistent standards set to justify one over another. The result is a combination of horror and whimsy, although pleasing to the eye it is still rather jarring. The artist aimed to look at the disconnect that markets animals as cute, cuddly, and vulnerable. On the exhibition that was on display at Varnish Fine Art in San Francisco, California, Hart explains, ”I am interested in amusement, sarcasm, hypocrisy, deception, social injustice and piquing the viewer’s curiosity... the work, I think, stands for itself.”25

25 “About.” Gale Hart’s Portfolio, www.galehart.com/about.

21 PROFILE 8:sue coe

In 115 black-and-white woodcut illustrations for The Animals’ Vegan Manifesto, Sue Coe unleashes an outraged cry for action that takes its rightful place alongside the other great manifestoes of history. 26 The artist has exhibited around the world, including in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Combining images and words, she examines the philosophical idea that humans at their core value compassion over greed, life over capital, and community over self despite their everyday actions. She beckons the public to take more responsibility over themselves for ourselves, animals, and the planet.

26 “Sue Coe.” Graphic Witness: Visual Arts & Social Commentary, www.graphicwitness.org/coe/enter.htm.

22 PROFILE 9: zoe bierrell

Zoe Bierrell wanted to look at the idea of feminity in respect to the intensively farmed animals. The artist set up rows of 400 cows in herds. Molds were casted out of dairy-free chocolate weighing around the artist’s weight. Her hope was to raise awareness through the exhibition and a booklet that explained wider issues relating to human health, nutrition and environmental concerns. Bierrell explains, “I am also looking at how this affects the environment we live in. My role and place as an individual in this equation is manifest by my body weight defining the size of the herd. The fact that I am a woman and I am creating an entirely female herd is not a coincidence as this herd is the result of the exploitation of another animals’ sexuality.”

27 ““Vegetarian Artist to Eat a Whole Cow for Charity.” PRWeb, 17 June 2006, www.prweb.com/releases/2006/06/prweb399930.htm.

IS THERE A CLEAN-CUT SOLUTION?

Is there a solution to how museums define and enforce ethical issues, then? It depends on the institution, its location, heritage and culture. From the code of ethics guidelines mentioned, boards need to define their ethic policies and museums as well as artists need to work with them. Some cultures may find the mistreatment of animals more offensive than others as well as the way humans are treated and represented for art. Museums need to recognize and understand the environment we live in today. Certain ethics policies and movements like animal justice are in line with larger cultural shifts are gaining momentum which should be adapted by these institutions. This not a one-size-fitsall issue, but there are plenty of resources and references to point to solve this debate within establishments.

Works Cited “About Asher Jay.” Asher Jay, www.asherjay.com/about-asher-jay/.

“About.” Gale Hart’s Portfolio, www.galehart.com/about.

Aronsson, Peter, et al. National Museums Making Histories in a Diverse Europe. Linköping University Elec

tronic Press, 2012, National Museums Making Histories in a Diverse Europe, liu.diva-portal.org/smash/

get/diva2:573632/FULLTEXT01.pdf.

Brown, Gavin. “Jonathan Horowitz.” Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, www.gavinbrown.biz/artists/jonathan_horowitz/

works.

Cascone, Sarah. “The Guggenheim’s Massive China Show Is Already Attracting Criticism From Animal Rights Groups.” Artnet News, Artnet News, 25 Sept. 2017, news.artnet.com/exhibitions/animal-rights-protest-work guggenheim-china-show-1092644.

“Code of Ethics for Museums .” American Alliance of Museums, 2000, www.aam-us.org/resources/ethics-stan

dards-and-best-practices/code-of-ethics.

“Code of Ethics.” International Council of Museums , 2004, icom.museum/the-vision/code-of-ethics/#intro.

“Empty the Cages.” Peta, www.emptythecages.org.uk/.

“Ethic.” Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic.

Farmer, Ben. “Artist Hangs Herself from Hooks in Protest at Shark Treatment.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media

Group, 3 Sept. 2008, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2675452/Artist-hangs-herself-from-hooks-in-pro

test-at-shark-treatment.html.

“Is It Necessary?” Rocky Lewycky, www.rocksart.com/is-it-necessary/.

Matthes, Erich Hatala. “Why Museums Need Their Own Ethics Departments.” Apollo Magazine, 26 Sept. 2017, www.apollo-magazine.com/why-museums-need-their-own-ethics-departments/.

Mission, Vision, Values | Guggenheim Bilbao, www.guggenheim-bilbao-corp.eus/en/bilbao-guggenheim/

mission-vision-values/.

Powhida, William. “The Conflation of Ethics and Morality.” Art21 Magazine, 18 Mar. 2010, magazine.art21.

org/2010/03/18/the-conflation-of-ethics-and-morality-3/#.Wg3_UbQ-cdZ. “Sue Coe.” Graphic Witness: Visual Arts & Social Commentary, www.graphicwitness.org/coe/enter.htm.

“Vegetarian Artist to Eat a Whole Cow for Charity.” PRWeb, 17 June 2006, www.prweb.com/releases/2006/06/

prweb399930.htm.

“Vegetarian Artist to Eat a Whole Cow for Charity.” PRWeb, 17 June 2006, www.prweb.com/releases/2006/06/

prweb399930.htm.

Winkleman, Edward. “The Nonexistence of ‘Unethical Art.’” Art21 Magazine, 26 Mar. 2010, magazine.art21.

org/2010/03/26/the-nonexistence-of-unethical-art/#.Wg397bQ-cdY. Witchey, Holly. “What’s In a Code of Ethics?” Art21 Magazine, 27 Apr. 2010, magazine.art21.org/2010/04/27/

what%E2%80%99s-in-a-code-of-ethics/#.Wg3-Y7Q-cdZ. Yerkovich, Sally. “A Practical Guide to Museum Ethics.” A Practical Guide to Museum Ethics, Rowman Et Little

field, 2016, pp. 181–199.

Zimmerman, Neetzan. “Artist Undergoes ‘Torture’ In Front of London Shoppers For Anti-Animal-Testing Stunt.”

Gawker, 26 Apr. 2012, gawker.com/5905506/artist-undergoes-torture-in-front-of-london-shoppers-for-anti animal-testing-stunt.