Is 'offensive' art unethical? Ethics and Religion Talk
THE GRAND RAPIDS
By Rabbi David Krishef
In the aftermath of another exciting Artprize competition, David asked: "There are well-known works of art that are offensive to people of various religions, like David Wojnarowicz's A Fire in My Belly, John Adams' The Death of Klinghoffer, or Mousa's Paradise Built on the Bones of the Slaughtered, the sculpture that the city of Grand Rapids did not approve to be exhibited at ArtPrize. I think simply being an artist is not license for ignoring all ethical boundaries. An artist who wants his or her art to be taken seriously has an obligation to tread carefully when approaching sensitive matters. [link]
By Rabbi David Krishef
In the aftermath of another exciting Artprize competition, David asked: "There are well-known works of art that are offensive to people of various religions, like David Wojnarowicz's A Fire in My Belly, John Adams' The Death of Klinghoffer, or Mousa's Paradise Built on the Bones of the Slaughtered, the sculpture that the city of Grand Rapids did not approve to be exhibited at ArtPrize. I think simply being an artist is not license for ignoring all ethical boundaries. An artist who wants his or her art to be taken seriously has an obligation to tread carefully when approaching sensitive matters. [link]
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| Syrian-American artist Nabil Mousa's entry into ArtPrize 2015, using the burned remains of texts of the Bible, the Koran and the Torah, was rejected by the city of Grand Rapids for installation in Grand Rapids City Hall. (Courtesy photo) |
