THE PHILIPPINES – AUGUST 17, 2011 – Who would have thought that art would make front page news? Mideo Cruz’s work "Poleteismo", part of the "Kulo" exhibit that opened on July 15 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), has stirred up a hornet’s nest. The artwork– which features a mouse-eared Christ, penises and a vandalized Jesus–has divided artists, Catholics and even CCP officials.
At the hearing at the Philippine Senate yesterday, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada renewed his call for CCP officials to resign. CCP chair Emily Abrera objected to this and remained calm as she explained their decision to close the exhibit not for the contents but because of the threats it received. A couple had vandalized the work and attempted to set it on fire, leading to the premature closure of the exhibit on August 9. CCP Visual Arts Head Karen Ocampo-Flores resigned from her post following the closure.
National Artists Abdulmari Imao and F. Sionil Jose attended the hearing and commented on "Poleteismo". Jose reiterated as he had done in his column in The Philippine Star that the piece is not art but a juvenile, immature work.
The artist was a no-show at the hearing.
"It is part of our culture to question, to seek answers, to look behind the surface and try to dig out what our real values are," said Abrera, best known in the ad industry as Chair Emeritus of McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific and McCann Erickson’s first Filipino president and CEO. Abrera clarified that she found the work "too explicit", but recognized that it is "shock art". She discusses her position further in her August 15 column in the Inquirer.
Twitter was abuzz with tweets of support and retweets of Abrera’s quotes, including calls for Abrera to run for public office. Howie Severino of GMA News tweeted, "This hearing is a national seminar on art education. Such clarity from Emily Abrera."
Image by Jamin Verde, InterAksyon.com
