Kyle E.

Fostanes
BSE- English/Chinese 2-A

DIRECTIONS: Kindly read the short article, “Art and Offense” and elucidate the following
questions in a concise manner (maximum of eight sentences). The rubric for evaluation is
provided below.
Note that in this part you are encouraged to think logically.
 
ART AND OFFENSE
         In 2011, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) mounted an exhibit that included
Mideo Cruz’s “Politeismo,” an installation comprised of an amalgam of many images including
a statue of Jesus wearing Mickey Mouse ears, a crucifix adorned with a bright red phallus, and a
picture of the face of Jesus with a wooden ashtray with penis tacked on the middle. Apparently
conceived as a piece to promote critical thought and perhaps debate on idolatry, it was seen by
many in this predominantly Catholic country to be a deliberate insult to their faith. Given the
public outcry and the strong denouncement from the various religious and secular leaders, the
exhibit was abruptly closed. In addition to being threatened and having his work vandalized,
Cruz was charged with obscenity. However, he (as well as the administrators of the CCP) was
acquitted of these charges by the courts in 2013.
         A case such as this allows us to consider questions on aesthetics such as “Is it the point of
the work to be appealing or to be thought provoking?” It also allows us to consider political
questions, such as “Who gets to decide which artists and which projects may or may not receive
funding from the state?” Our concern here is ethical, and perhaps we can recognize that a
number of highly significant ethical questions can be raised: Does the artist have an ethical
obligation to the sensibilities of his audience? Or does he have a moral obligation only to be
faithful to his vision and his art? What constitutes offense, and at what point is offense severe
enough as to require control or to justify retribution? Does a religious majority have a monopoly
on understanding of what is right or wrong? Does an artist have an absolute freedom of
expression, or are there proper restrictions to this right?
What do you think?
 
I. Imagine a scenario in which an image of someone who is the object of religious
devotion (such as Jesus Christ or Mary, the Mother of Jesus) is placed side by side
with a phallic image.

 
1. Is this an ethical issue? Why or why not?
Yes, it is an ethical issue because in this situation, the moral conflict arises where we can argue
that this is just an art- which everyone is entitled to create. On the other hand it may also be
perceived as a deliberate insult to the religion, Catholic thus it is an unethical thing to do.
There is nothing wrong expressing ourselves especially in the form of an artwork; even our
constitution does not condemn self-expression. These artworks only become wrong especially in
the eyes of religious people because it depicted an image of Jesus being associated to obscenity.
Considering that the majority of Filipinos are Catholics, consisting of 86% of the population, the
artist should have become sensitive to what others may feel towards his work. If not, the
artworks should not be made open for public viewing and if still not possible, there should have
been a restriction or orientation for the audience before entering the exhibit. 
However, remember that any artwork can be interpreted and is perceived by different individuals
in different ways. If we will take it religiously, then it will definitely be wrong, but if we will
view it as a mere art, and just a result of the playful mind of the artist, then it is never wrong.

 
2 Does the question of the rightness or wrongness of this depend on which religion you
belong to? Explain your answer.
Yes. As we have learned in the last discussion the culture shapes the behavior of every individual
and the way they act, that leads a particular religion to have its own standard of what is right and
wrong. It would be easy to judge whether an action is good or bad. If the action done is against
their belief, then it is considered evil. 
However, for people of different religions, they may make no reaction towards the art or the
reaction would just be neutral. And for atheists, satanists or those people who condemn idolatry,
they may actually find the arts good and appealing as it does them a favour of weakening the
morale of the Catholics and by mocking the image of Jesus Christ.