CCP controversy reaches boiling point (part 1)
Wednesday, 17 August 2011 03:37 PM Ofelia T. Sta. Maria
This is what the Kulo controversy has come to: the exhibit has prematurely closed down, some people concerned have resigned from their posts at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), protests have been held by various religious and art groups, and social networks have been rife with everyone’s two cents on the issue.
The debate is far from over, and beyond the exhibit itself, at the heart of issue is the state of art in the country today. Based on what’s already happened, how much expression can an artist impart to the public now?
Kulo
Kulo is an art exhibition that opened in June 17 at the CCP main gallery, and was meant to run until August 21.
Celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Philippine National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal, the exhibit featured 32 artists who, like Rizal, studied at the University of Santo Tomas. One of them is Mideo Cruz, whose mixed-media collage entitled "Poleteismo,” has been ruffling feathers over the past month.
The installation appeared like a room filled with calendars, posters, magazine cut-outs, advertisements, and photographs of famous personalities. One specific part of the exhibit—the source of the brouhaha—has the poster of Jesus Christ with a wooden penis glued to his face, a figure of Christ the King painted with make-up that makes it appear like Mickey Mouse, and a crucifix with a condom.
Due to the outrage from various groups, who expressed their staunch disapproval by means of protests and statements, the exhibit was closed down on August 9.
Read full article here.
