Act Art had a stunning show at Hidden in November and are having their 8th on May 8th at Central Station, Kings Cross. The theme is 'Censored' and they're asking for artists to apply to show their stuff before 15th March. If you dare, click the headline for details.
Subject: CALL FOR ARTISTS: ACT ART 8 – CENSORED Saturday 8th May 2010.
ACT ART 8 – CENSORED
Saturday 8th May 2010.
@ Central Station, Wharfdale Road, Kings Cross, London, N1 9SD
Is CENSORSHIP really appropriate?
Do individuals have the right to say whatever they wish even if this offends someone else?
Does CENSORSHIP have the effect of making art more appealing, more glamorous, and more exciting?
Is it controlling and arrogant to suggest the public needs protecting?
Have you had your own work CENSORED, or in fact self CENSORED in order to get your work programmed?
Is CENSORSHIP about what’s morally wrong or obscene, or is it subjectional?
CENSORSHIP surrounds us, be it freedom of speech, censorship of art and culture, freedom of expression or removal of media that’s deemed to be harmful, insensitive, objectionable, embarrassing or inconvenient to those in power. Thankfully it’s extremely hard (if not impossible) for those in authority to control our personal choices and forms of expression because in order for us to be controlled we must all think the same way, which of course is never really going to happen.
CENSORSHIP has of course been around forever, in art history sculptures by pre-Raphaelite artists had their genitals covered with fig leaves and loin cloths, and Robert Mapplethorpe’s endlessly censored photographs, which at the time caused some to address the public funding of artworks. Right through to Chris Ofili’s ‘Virgin Mary’ (and his use of elephant dung) which attracted media attention in the UK but was withdrawn from one New York gallery, as the Mayor found the work to be offensive.
The artist Spencer Tunik has staged mass nudity photography events across the globe, including London, yet just one naked person who participated in Antony Gormley’s, fourth plinth project in Trafalgar Square last year, was asked to put their clothes back on, not because it’s illegal to be naked, but because one individual had complained. In mainstream culture - television, film and music, Kubrick's ‘Clockwork Orange’ and Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s ‘Relax’ we're deemed so offensive in their day, that they weren’t CENSORED but banned.
Although CENSORSHIP will most likely exist for a long time yet (if not forever) and the Internet and today’s more liberal television programming has made CENSORSHIP a harder task for the authorities, such as the BBFC whose conduct includes looking at material that contains sexual content, violence, politics, blasphemy or seen to be bad taste.
There will still always be those who protest under the banner of what’s morally wrong or obscene, but at the end of the day CENSORSHIP no matter what kind, and from whatever perspective, is a lack of freedom to be able to develop as individuals and make our own judgement which surely in itself is morally wrong.
Artists are invited to submit proposals for work based on or connected to CENSORSHIP for the 8th ACT ART event, as well as work that’s unrelated.
Visit http://www.actart.co.uk/ for more information and to make a proposal.
Submission deadline Monday 15th March 2010.
