Secret Service Shuts Down "Assassination of Obama and Clinton" Art Exhibit

In March, simultaneous installations in two Chelsea galleries – one called The Assassination of Barack Obama, the other The Assassination of Hillary Clinton – were canceled “due to extreme legal pressures,” according to LVHRD. This morning the artist, Yazmany Arboleda, again attempted to hang his work in an empty storefront across from the New York Times building and got as far as putting up the name of the exhibit in the window before the NYPD, Secret Service, and – who would have guessed – the major media rushed to the scene.

Arboleda told authorities that the exhibit – which features a gigantic black penis (pictured after the jump) and mounted text like “WOULD YOU HAVE SEX WITH HER? NEITHER WOULD BILL.” – explores the idea of character assassination. You didn’t think he was referencing a literal assassination with bullets, did you? It’s just a “metaphor”!

Nevertheless, those philistines in the Secret Service ordered the show's title in the window papered over to protect the politicians. And Arboleda was detained and finally released, albeit outraged at the crackdown: “I’m renting that space; the space was allocated for an exhibition and it’s my right to put those words up. It’s terrible, because they’re violating my rights.” The moral here, obviously, is that referencing the assassination of a presidential candidate for some weirdo art project is unacceptable, but if you're doing it to push overpriced T-shirts, go nuts.

Photo courtesy Animal New York.

Photo from "The Assassination of Barack Obama" exhibit courtesy Yazmany Arboleda.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in Arts & Entertainment on June 4, 2008 3:01 PM

Comments [rss]

sonyactivision

#29, I'm not outraged by this.

jterry121

If this pu$$y had any balls, his Fart exhibit would have been about George W Bush, and he would have been thrown in Guantanamo for 10 years faster than you can say "Allah"

Guest

I understand what you guys (edEx and Kojak) are saying, but to say that I don't understand free speech laws is very presumptive and a bit condescending of you. I completely understand them. I would not yell 'fire' in a theater because I know it could cause a panic. I get that. What I don't get is you guys defending an overreaction by the authorities to a completely mundane and harmless art exhibit.

Polite New Yorker

This artist, whatever his merits, has a right to put on any art show he pleases. How can anyone not be outraged by this?

Sir Kenneth Clark

"Secret Service Detains Giant Penis Indefinitely, Giant Pants Named As Suspect”

jterry121

These pu$$Y scumbag sounds like a terrorist- deport his ass or better yet, send him to the front lines in Iraq. Maybe that will teach him a little patriotism

west side Michael

How much rent did he pay for that store space

across from the New York Times?

signed,Duane Reade

Anna_Merkin

I'm disappointed. At least I got paid for modeling for the exhibit.

Karen

If the walls are anything to go by, this "artist" is the same kind of guy who'd put a 3x6 area of bricks in a floor, and call it art.

Oh, wait, back in the 70's, the Met did that for some wack job...

Kojak

edEx is completely correct. The Secret Service is obligated to investigate all threats, no matter how they are portrayed, against the President, his family, foreign diplomats & ministers, and presidential candidates.

I would be surprised if the Service didn't investigate the exhibit. I doubt it will stay shut down however they will have to tone down on the sign. The Secret Service takes even pot shots at the President very seriously.

Its not a sign of a police state, its just them doing their jobs.

ed_Extinct

Just so this is clear, the SECRET Service investigates all threats made to any President or candidate, including judges, congressman, senators etc. It's their job as it's also their job to investigate your credit card fraud or money laundering. The Treasury Department... Ring a bell? Ever hear of them?

Everyone reverts back to yelling "FIRE" in a theater because it perfectly illustrates the free speech laws—which it's clear you do not understand.

You do not have the right to threaten, by assassination, a president or candidate... and by not having that right, certainly does not make this city or the United States a police state—It just makes life unfair...

Guest

Actually, edEx, my comment was in response to something Kojak said, but since you decided to add your two cents, it's only right of me to respond in kind.

I know EXACTLY what a police state is, and the fact that the - wait for it - SECRET Service had something to do with infringing upon the Constitutional right of an American citizen, proves it. That is the very definition of police state. Look it up. I'm right. Plus, this guy threatened no one. He used one word that the government overreacted to. Actually, I take that back. He could have switched the candidates’ names with any Joe Schmo and none of this would have happened.

And why does everyone always go back to yelling "Fire" in a theater to argue their position on whether something is free speech or not. It doesn't have any bearing here. The artist wrote "The Assassination of X", not "I'm going to assassinate X". If he has to put it as "The Metaphorical Assassination of X", then it loses its entire purpose as art.

If we go by what you say, we might as well bring back the Alien & Sedition Acts. Oh wait, the government already did. It's called the Patriot Act.

gimme

those cwazy artists - sign on to boycott this one:

http://badatsports.com/2008/artist-starves-dog-to-death/

yoplay

how is showing someone has a giant cock a character assassination... What? Did you just say I have a giant schlong? how dare you!!

This character assassination work is just not thought out, if it's supposed to be an artistic comment on the media.

ed_Extinct

Yazmany is just another name for shoeshine boy. Keep the tip.

for the win!

MFer

It's not a waste of money because they get paid either way. It's called having a regular job. I'm sure nobody's working overtime on this.

Yazmany Arboleda ... first rule of being an artist is to be born with a better name. Yazmany is just another name for shoeshine boy. Keep the tip.

ed_Extinct

it's not a waste of money. it's a legitimate threat and all threat are taken seriously, regardless of your personal point of view.

^ Why are you glad the Secret Service shut it down? Do you advocate a police state? I'm just wondering.

I'm glad because they're doing their job. And no, I do not advocate a police state(s). The shutting down of this is not anything close to a police state. You do not have a right to threaten the President or a candidate no matter what your views are. Yoiu also do not have the right to yell "fire" in a public theater. Just because its speeh or press, doesn't make it legal. There clauses to the "freedoms" that do not allow this.

Do some research on police state and get back to us when you have something intelligent to contribute.

Other than it being illegal, it's in extremely bad taste as well. bad taste and a lack of any education.

PBRK

Wouldn't a piece on media assassination require material from the media? Or is he saying he is trying to assassinate them? He could save time and money by just leaving out some highlighted Tasteless Jokes books.

zodak

"Look, there's a bench so you can sit and stare at a 30 foot long black cock.

Is there a Hillary counterpoint, also with a bench?"

i would love to see that, especially if it were a photo.

(yeah, i went there!)

mrguy

eyekantspel- wow. thanks for the laugh. you should write a south park episode. any photoshoppers out there who can actually make that image happen? because i would LOVE to see that... i'd make it my gothamist icon, in fact.