***  Haus der Kulturen der Welt: Forum1 Archive  ***
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
   [Date]: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 07:25:35 -0800
   [From]: Britta Erickson <britta2@leland.Stanford.EDU>
     [To]: Cultural Exchange via Internet <forum1@hkw.kbx.de>
[Subject]: Re: [forum1] Opinions versus Censorship

The Chinese authorities would have closed down the "Post Sensation" show
with or without the questionable hygiene elements.  Installation and
performance art, and sometimes even exhibitions of fairly unremarkable
paintings, frequently get in trouble in China.  The human bodies that Su
Yuan used were ones that were for rent at the hospital or morgue--I forget.
Susan--did the family members complain?  I had assumed that if the bodies
were for rent, the family members did not care about the bodies.  The live
animals were what bother me, but I know that there is a cultural difference
in attitudes towards animals.  I agree with what Christy said:  "I think
artists can be just as cruel and crazed as the rest of the
population.  The cruel use of animals or humans is not improved by the
creative or beautiful or moving ways in which it is done."

--Britta

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Britta Erickson
66 Peter Coutts Circle
Stanford CA  94305
britta2@leland.stanford.edu
Tel/FAX:   650 857-1007
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/art/china/