Hackles up over proposed mural
The proposed mural by Palmerston North artist SwiftMantis has been granted resource consent by the Dunedin City Council and is intended to be painted on the side of the Mansfield Apartments building, at the corner of Bond and Liverpool Sts.
The building formerly displayed Love is in the Air , painted by Polish street artist Natalia Rak in May 2015, which depicted a girl giving a boy holding a lollipop a kiss as they sit together on a red bench.
That mural was painted over in March last year so the wall could be repaired.
Its replacement is set to depict a British bulldog that references the area's history.
Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Aotearoa managing director Helen Beattie said she was concerned the proposed artwork could "drive behaviour" that was not ideal.
British bulldogs were classed as brachycephalic — their snub noses meant they did not oxygenate properly and could cause breathing issues.
There was a lot of misunderstanding about the health impacts on animals which were "welfare compromised", Dr Beattie said.
Animal welfare campaigns such as the British Veterinary Association's "Breed to Breathe" called for the avoidance of imagery of brachycephalic dogs in advertising, social media and marketing materials to reduce demand and prevent the normalisation of health issues.
The mural would be breaking an "international unwritten code", she said.
"I would much rather see a healthy, non-welfare compromised breed there than a bulldog."
New Zealand Veterinary Association companion animal veterinarians branch president Becky Murphy said the association shared Dr Beattie's concerns.
There was a "strong international consensus" that promoting welfare-compromised breeds, such as the British bulldog, in public artwork risked normalising extreme physical traits linked to significant health issues including lifelong breathing difficulties, skin infections and other chronic conditions, she said.
"Public depictions, however well-intentioned, may inadvertently reinforce demand for exaggerated features that compromise dogs' ability to live comfortably.
"There are many alternative breeds with far fewer welfare concerns which could be considered as more responsible choices for public celebration."
SwiftMantis said he could understand the veterinarians' perspective.
The mural was "simply meant to inspire a little joy in the viewer from the joy of the dog, maybe even promote a smile!".
He had been trying to paint a large-scale mural in Dunedin for many years and had wanted to create something unique on a grand scale for the city to enjoy.
His initial design depicted a "giant short-tail native bat climbing out of the wall", but this was rejected and the bulldog requested instead, he said.
It could be hard to get large-scale projects such as this over the line.
"Honestly, I think this bad press is most likely going to tank the whole project anyway, which really sucks for everyone involved who worked so hard to do something epic for Dunedin."
The Dunedin Street Art Trust did not respond to a request for comment before deadline.
tim.scott@odt.co.nz
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