UST slams artist Mideo Cruz
MANILA, August 9, 2011— The University of Santo Tomas (UST) has disowned controversial artist Mideo Cruz as an alumnus of the Catholic institution.
UST vice rector Pablo Tiong criticized Cruz for dragging the university into the controversy as triggered by his art installation of religious symbols and phallic objects.
Cruz is among the 32 artists “from the UST” whose works are featured in the art exhibit titled “Kulo” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
“It’s been confirmed that Mideo Cruz is an undergraduate of UST. That’s why we cannot sanction him,” Tiong told Catholic Church-run Radyo Veritas Tuesday.
The UST official also condemned Cruz’s pieces and described him as an “unprofessional artist.”
"The University as an academic community and as a Catholic institution would also like to express that it is denouncing the sacrilegious or religious offensive art works included in the exhibit and all other artwork of similar nature,” Tiong said.
“Moreover the said sacrilegious or religiously offensive artworks are nothing but a kind of artworks expected and or produced by unprofessional artist," he added.
Tiong said that the UST community is also supportive of filing a charges or complaint against Cruz.
“Yes, the UST supports the filing of a case,” he said. “As of now, we cannot sanction Cruz. We will have our own move but we will be waiting for the right time.”
[CBCPNews]
