To protest against the brutal practice of shark finning, British performance artist Alice Newstead has employed a similar painful method by hanging herself using hooks in the window of the Union Street storefront.
A former employee of LUSH Cosmetics in San Francisco's Marina District, Newstead's prime aim is to shed light on the brutal process of shark finning. Typically, this involves killing sharks by slicing off their fins and then disposing the de-finned shark back into the water so as to not bear the trouble of having to carry the entire body back to dry land.
The sliced fins are the main ingredients of a Chinese delicacy called the shark fin soup which sells for up to $80 per bowl.
In the past, a number of celebrities have tried to fight against this gruesome practice including player Yao Ming and actress Bo Derek.
The Huffington Post mentions that a bill banning shark fins is currently in the California State Assembly.
Check out these spine-chilling and highly graphic images in the slideshow given:
British performance artist Alice Newstead suspends from shark hooks pierced through her back at a cosmetic shop in San Francisco, California August 24, 2011. The act was performed to bring attention to the declining global population of sharks due to demand for shark fin soup and other shark products.Reuters.British performance artist Alice Newstead suspends from shark hooks pierced through her back at a cosmetic shop in San Francisco, California August 24, 2011. The act was performed to bring attention to the declining global population of sharks due to demand for shark fin soup and other shark products.Reuters.British performance artist Alice Newstead suspends from shark hooks pierced through her back at a cosmetic shop in San Francisco, California August 24, 2011. The act was performed to bring attention to the declining global population of sharks due to demand for shark fin soup and other shark products.Reuters.British performance artist Alice Newstead suspends from shark hooks pierced through her back at a cosmetic shop in San Francisco, California August 24, 2011. The act was performed to bring attention to the declining global population of sharks due to demand for shark fin soup and other shark products.Reuters.British performance artist Alice Newstead suspends from shark hooks pierced through her back at a cosmetic shop in San Francisco, California August 24, 2011. The act was performed to bring attention to the declining global population of sharks due to demand for shark fin soup and other shark products.Reuters.British performance artist Alice Newstead suspends from shark hooks pierced through her back at a cosmetic shop in San Francisco, California August 24, 2011. The act was performed to bring attention to the declining global population of sharks due to demand for shark fin soup and other shark products.Reuters.British performance artist Alice Newstead suspends from shark hooks pierced through her back at a cosmetic shop in San Francisco, California August 24, 2011. The act was performed to bring attention to the declining global population of sharks due to demand for shark fin soup and other shark products.Reuters.British performance artist Alice Newstead suspends from shark hooks pierced through her back at a cosmetic shop in San Francisco, California August 24, 2011. The act was performed to bring attention to the declining global population of sharks due to demand for shark fin soup and other shark products.Reuters.British performance artist Alice Newstead suspends from shark hooks pierced through her back at a cosmetic shop in San Francisco, California August 24, 2011. The act was performed to bring attention to the declining global population of sharks due to demand for shark fin soup and other shark products.Reuters.British performance artist Alice Newstead suspends from shark hooks pierced through her back at a cosmetic shop in San Francisco, California August 24, 2011. The act was performed to bring attention to the declining global population of sharks due to demand for shark fin soup and other shark products.Reuters.
