*** Haus der Kulturen der Welt: Forum1 Archive *** ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [Date]: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 11:21:53 PST [From]: "Raul Ferrera-Balanquet" [To]: forum1@hkw.kbx.de [Subject]: Censorship Hola Chris: Censorship is all over the world. Here in Merida, Mexico there different ways of censorships. There is a gallery, Galeria Colon, a well known gallery, which doesn't represent the artists from the city. All of the artists are imported form Mexico City or other countries. But the worth censorship I had experience is the one whic created the internal censorship. I have seen gay artists who are reluctant to produce gay work because the own internal fears. Women do no have a place in the local scene. Only the big macho baravados artists who are able to speak the bullshit of the Chairman of the Institute of Culture are the ones who are supported most of the time. Regarding to the Cultural Center's exhibit. I had the chance to live in Chicago for a few years and I know the racist art politics of that town. I am no surprise with the outcome from the selection process. How is the art politics in Chicago at the end of he Millenium? The cultural center has a well known Latino artist in its staff. Is he doing his work, today? A while ago, Juan Diaz stated how difficult is for art historian and curators to understand the complexicties of Latino and Latin American art. We have to recognized that the educational system has kept the art historians and curators away from world art, focusing on eurocentric notions. That is what they know and the only art language they can read. The sad part is that some of the "minority artists" decide to speak that art language and become the token spoke preson from the comunieties. That is another type of censorship which works at a deeper subconscious level. Saludos, Raul Ferrera-Balanquet, MFA Interdisciplinary Artist and Scholar ferrera98@hotmail.com http://www.artswire.org/krosrods/curriculum/index.html