NY Businessman Calls For Boycott Of Aspen Art Museum Until iPads Are Removed From Tortoises' Backs
ASPEN, Co. (CBS4) - The call to get rid of iPads off the backs of tortoises at the Aspen Art Museum has gone across the country.
Andy Sabin, a New York businessman and Turtle Conservancy board member, is asking the public to stop supporting and attending the museum, the Aspen Times reported.
"It sends a bad message about animals," Sabin told the newspaper. "They aren't made to be art objects and carry banners."
He is talking about Cai Guo-Qiang's art installation "Moving Ghost Town," which features three African sulcata tortoises that display footage of area ghost towns on their iPads.
Sabin is not holding back. He plans on taking out full-page ads in the local newspaper calling for his boycott.
"I'm going to be putting four full-page ads in," Sabin told the Aspen Times. "They're going to ask the public not to go to the museum or give than any financial support until the iPads are removed."
The animals are expected to remain at the museum until Oct. 5 and Sabin says the lower temperatures will have an impact on the animals.
The tortoises stay in a wooden, insulated area with a radiant-heat panel when the museum is closed.
The iPads are affixed to the tortoises' shells using noninvasive silicone epoxy material without any drilling.
The museum has not commented recently, but earlier this month they did issue a statement obtained by CBS4 in response to an online petition which also called for the iPads to be removed from their back.
RELATED: Petition Launched To Remove iPads From Tortoises' Backs At Museum
