Yale may not put student's art on display

NEW HAVEN - Yale University said yesterday it will not install an art project by a student who says she filmed herself inducing repeated abortions unless she includes a disclaimer saying it is a work of fiction.

Yale also said an instructor and an adviser made "serious errors of judgment" in letting the project go forward.

Aliza Shvarts's work was described Thursday in a story in the Yale Daily News.

She told the newspaper she artificially inseminated herself "as often as possible" while taking herbal drugs to induce miscarriages.

The account swept across blogs and media outlets before Yale issued a statement saying it investigated and found her project to be a hoax that was Shvarts's idea of elaborate "performance art."

Normally, Shvarts's project would be installed at the School of Art for critique and discussion with a committee of faculty.

"In this case, we will not permit her to install the project unless she submits a clear and unambiguous written statement that her installation is a work of fiction: that she did not try to inseminate herself and induce miscarriages, and that no human blood will be physically displayed in her installation," Peter Salovey, dean of Yale College, said in the statement.

The work was scheduled to go on display today. Yale spokesman Tom Conroy said the matter had not been resolved last evening.

Salovey said an instructor responsible for the senior project should not have allowed it to go forward.

He also said an adviser should have interceded and consulted others when first given information about the project.

Yale says "appropriate action" has been taken in those cases. Conroy would not say what action was taken or disclose the names of the adviser and instructor.