Artists march vs art censorship
CARMELA LAPEÑA, GMA News
08/21/2011 07:37 PM
Artists on Sunday gathered at the Cultural Center of the Philippines to protest censorship and show their support for freedom of expression following the controversy generated by a recent exhibit there.
Clad mostly in white, the artists marched up the CCP ramp to the main steps where a program was held to symbolically close the controversial Kulô exhibit, which featured Mideo Cruz’s Poleteismo.
“Hindi nagtatapos dito sa ating ginagawa ngayon na supposedly closing ng Kulo exhibit. Patuloy pa rin ang ating diskurso," said Buen Calubayan, co-curator of the exhibit.
“What happened to Poletesimo, what happened to Kulô — it should be a warning to all of us. It's a symptom of a greater crisis... despite our democratic processes, our minds are not free," said Karen Flores, who resigned as CCP Visual Arts Department head following the furor over the exhibit.
Catholic groups labeled Poleteismo as blasphemous for juxtaposing religious images and representations of genitalia, among many other objects.
Cruz had already asked for forgiveness from people offended by his art, which he said was aimed at challenging the mind.
Artists’ groups, meanwhile, voiced support to Cruz and Kulô during Sunday’s event.
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