Wafaa Bilal exhibit closed... what do you think?

[ploy]

Have you heard about the artist Wafaa Bilal's exhibit being closed? His Virtual Jihadi exhibit was closed due to any angry College Republican group. I first read about it on yahoo news and then found a recent interview with him where it was mentioned. The CR's on the campus where the exhibit was to be held stated that the art department there is a "haven for terrorist" all because Bilal's Virtual Jihadi installation, which is basically a game where Bush is killed by a terrorist that looks like Wafaa in the face. Bilal is no stranger to this sort of thing and it is not like he is some smuck off the streets. He teaches at SAIC! So what do you guys think about this? Don't you think we should all be concerned when exhibits are closed because of political reasons?

Here is a link to the interview
http://www.myartspace.com/blog/2008/...faa-bilal.html

[Hyskoa]

Neah, it's modern "art" anyway. Called crap for short.
Now if this were to happen with real art, it'd be a shame yes.
But it isn't, so not to worry.

[Mirana]

Don't you think we should all be concerned when exhibits are closed because of political reasons?

Not when the art in question was political. I'm pretty sure it was made to incite this kind of response--and look at the promotion he got out of it.

(Geez Hyskoa...tell us what you really think. )

[Malaveldt]

Not when the art in question was political. I'm pretty sure it was made to incite this kind of response--and look at the promotion he got out of it.

(Geez Hyskoa...tell us what you really think. )

I'd go further and say that the response *is* the art. Theater, to be precise. Everybody sees what they want here, from terrorists to cryptofascists to aesthetic fraud. It's through the lens of this piece of media drama that we can more clearly each others' views, and the very different baggage we bring to the viewing.

Trolling really, but to a purpose. Not quite on same scale as Swift or Jogand-Paget but adequate to the task.

[ploy]

Actually his work is more conceptual than modern. When you think modern art think Picasso.

[Cepro]

Hyskoa
Personally I think doing political art is rather hard, not only because you have to be informed etc., but because usually people expect it to be "right" just because it is art.
In any case I don't believe the artist speculated on not beeing allowed to show his work, even though it gave him a little publicity in the end. Also, he's now the moral winner as well, because those who forbade the exhibition now look pretty ignorant.
I think they should have let him show, or at least give an explanation that is actually comprehensible.

[Zaxser]

Actually his work is more conceptual than modern. When you think modern art think Picasso.