CCP temporarily closes 'blasphemous' exhibit

(Updated 1:56 p.m.) The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) has temporarily closed the controversial art exhibit "Kulo," amid clashing ideas on religious sensibilities and freedom of expression. Several groups have criticized and threatened to file charges against the CCP for one of the artworks in the exhibit — artist Mideo Cruz's piece, a mixed-media collage called "Poleteismo" which juxtaposes religious images with clowns, Mickey Mouse ears, and a bright red penis. Jun Jarme of the CCP Visual Arts Department told GMA News Online that the exhibit is suspended while an urgent meeting is being held to decide if it will complete its run until August 21. Those present at the meeting were CCP Visual Arts head Karen Flores and CCP president Raul Sunico. On Monday, former First Lady and incumbent Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos visited the exhibit and was appalled, asking CCP officials to withdraw the exhibit. It is unclear whether the former First Lady's request was the reason for the ongoing meeting at the CCP. Later in the day, however, CCP's Cris Millano said the decision to close the exhibit was not due to Mrs. Marcos' request but for pubic safety reasons. "The exhibit has been vandalized and participating artists have been receiving vicious text messages and even death threats." "Kulo" is scheduled to run from June 17 to August 21 and features 32 artists, all former students at the University of Santo Tomas, hitherto known as a bastion of conservative Catholic teaching. 'Sick and sickening' Meanwhile, retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz, in his blog, called the artwork as a “consummate sacrilege!" Cruz said the exhibit was “sick and sickening" and “radically insensitive to natural decency, offensive to ethical standards, [and] hideous to moral norms." In a news release on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website on Monday, bishops have appealed for the closing of a part of the exhibit which they said desecrates beliefs. Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said the supposed freedom of expression being claimed by Mideo Cruz and the other artists has already gone overboard. “It’s an abuse of freedom because the use of freedom must respect responsibilities… the responsibility not to attack cultures and the responsibility not to destroy the values of people," Rosales said over church-run Radio Veritas. “It’s a complete betrayal of what is right and the knowledge of what is wrong. It’s really an indecency and a big insult to people’s belief. That is not artistic freedom!" Rosales said. Sotto calls for closure of exhibit Meanwhile, Senate majority leader Vicente Sotto III pushed for the permanent closure of the exhibit. Sotto threatened to move to withhold funding for the CCP in 2012 if the exhibit is not closed, radio dzBB's Nimfa Ravelo reported. 'Stop exhibit or face consequences' On August 2, some UST alumni visited the CCP, urging the cultural center "to stop the exhibit in 48 hours or face legal consequences." Also on August 2, Pro-Life Philippines sent a letter to the CCP and the artists who claimed to be from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and demanded that the exhibit “Kulo" be stopped by August 4. On August 4, unidentified vandals defaced a controversial art exhibit at the CCP. Among the art pieces affected by the attack was Cruz’s “Poleteismo." On August 5, at the Dakdakan forum at the CCP, opposing sides clashed on the issues of freedom of expression and religious sensibilities. The organizers said the exhibit was borne out of “discourses of the pen and the sword, education and revolution that continue to implicate Filipino artists and thinkers." Archbishop Oscar Cruz, on the other hand, called the CCP exhibit “sickening," advising artist Mideo Cruz to see a psychiatrist. Bishop Deogracias Yñiguez, during the forum, called for a boycott. — RSJ/VVP, GMA News