UNC Alumnus art piece initiates conversation about the sanctity of religious images
THE BLUE BANNER
By Maggie Haddock
NORTH CAROLINA---A complaint against a piece of student art displayed in Zeis Hall causes upset for its portrayal of religious figures. The piece, Faceswap, portrays Saint Gudula, patroness of Brussels with a Snapchat filter covering her face. Removal of the piece, which as of now is not under discussion, would breach UNC Asheville’s policy on freedoms of expression and speech. The initial complaint about the piece was made under the assumption the image was actually a distortion of the Virgin Mary and not Saint Gudula, according to Kusek. “The image is a remix of a photo of a statue that, by the way, is also an abstraction of its original subject,” Kusek said. “At no time was it a critique of religion.” [link]
By Maggie Haddock
NORTH CAROLINA---A complaint against a piece of student art displayed in Zeis Hall causes upset for its portrayal of religious figures. The piece, Faceswap, portrays Saint Gudula, patroness of Brussels with a Snapchat filter covering her face. Removal of the piece, which as of now is not under discussion, would breach UNC Asheville’s policy on freedoms of expression and speech. The initial complaint about the piece was made under the assumption the image was actually a distortion of the Virgin Mary and not Saint Gudula, according to Kusek. “The image is a remix of a photo of a statue that, by the way, is also an abstraction of its original subject,” Kusek said. “At no time was it a critique of religion.” [link]
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| Saint Gudula, patroness of Brussels, portrayed with a Snapchat filter over her face. The controversial piece was designed by UNCA alumnus Christian Coley. Photo by Maggie Haddock |
