Church had no right to stop 'Kulo' exhibit: CCP official
MANILA, Philippines - The vice-president and artistic director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Friday expressed his sadness over the unfavorable comments that Mideo Cruz's "Poleteismo" received, which eventually compelled CCP to shut down the exhibit entitled "Kulo."
CCP Vice-President Chris Millado said the Catholic Church had a right to be offended over art pieces that showed religious images with phallic symbols. However, he said the Church but did not have the right to stop the exhibit.
"They have the right to be offended but not to stop," Millado said at a press conference held at the CCP.
However, because they considered public safety, Millado said they had to shut down the exhibit. "Ang nawalan dito yung public kasi hindi na sila nabigyan ng pagkakataon na makapag-comment dito," he said.
Millado, who is a respected artist in the field of Theater Arts, admitted that he was also shocked with Cruz's art pieces but did not object to its inclusion on the exhibit because in his assessment, it fits their criteria.
The criteria employed is based on the questions: What is the artist trying to say, how is he trying to say it and the timeliness of the piece.
Millado explained that Mideo Cruz's piece is trying to engage the public in the fight against idolatry and corruption though that fight was cut short after the public outrage.
Millado called the public outrage as "bullying" on people's freedom of expression.
He said: "The greatest learning is it proved to the public how potent art can be."
MIllado appealed to the government to help them by calling on the Filipinos to support the arts. He believes that if the public will support the arts, government funding may no longer be needed to run the CCP.
He also maintained that in spite of the recent controversy that Poleteismo caused, the CCP will continue to open its doors to artists who want to explore and cultivate new forms and styles.
The CCP will open its door to the media on August 17, 2011 to give the public a better understanding of how underpaid Filipino artists toil. Media will be toured at the backstage of the CCP and other areas rarely opened to the public, so that better understanding of an artist's life can be seen.
Freedom of expression is not absolute
Some news media and so called artists still do not get it – their freedom of expression is not absolute. Others have rights too. Life is not all about you – there are other people in this universe. Just as you should not libel others, you are also protected from libelous statements from others. If you do so, you go to jail or be sent to the mental asylum if you are not capable of distinguishing what is right and wrong. Just as you deserve your privacy, others are protected too – we call them peeping toms.
I still don’t get it why the media continue to report the stupidity of these people. Why not tell them what they are - only thinking about themselves. If their rights were trampled, they would cry human rights violations. If they are really dedicated to their belief, why don’t they try to do the same thing to the Muslims.
Media should not only report – they should also distinguish what is trash as against what will ennoble and improve the lives of people.
rights
who give mideo cruz the right to desecrate the crucifix? for all I care, mideo cruz can remain underpaid and starving. many of my friends think mideo cruz specialized in dirty and perverted art and may he rot in hell. he has dirtied and tainted the image of the crucifix that we wear around our necks.
no, we will not support mideo cruz. never.
paki-ulit?
"MIllado appealed to the government to help them by calling on the Filipinos to support the arts."
How do you expect people to support you when you offend them?
messiah
millado thinks he's the messiah and that people are like sheep to be lump together, and then, taught his way.
you know what people do to messiahs, specially false ones, do you, millado?
BDSM & Sadomasochism of Catholicism
The bullying comes from Catholic training in sadomasochism or BDSM practices (Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, and Sadism and Masochism).
Sadists derive sexual pleasure or excitement by controlling others, while masochists are pleasured through pain or subjugation.
In ancient times, masochists such as Hindu ascetics derived spiritual or sexual pleasure by physically harming themselves. They may pierce themselves with sharp objects or flog themselves just like Catholics who re-enact Jesus' passion. They may also derive pleasure from being a slave or a servant. For them, pleasure comes from pain.
One of the creepiest masochistic rituals is the Tibetan sky burial, where family members give their deceased relatives to vultures and wild dogs to feed on as an act of “compassion” to hungry wild animals. They chop up the body and mash the bones first before they deliver it to the wild animals. The Chinese government, by controlling Tibet, has tried to ban it, but in the end, they gave up and allowed them to practice this tradition.
Ancient people also enjoyed sadism through the practice of human sacrifice. These ancients, including Central Americans, Europeans, Middle Easterners and other Asians would literally eat the flesh of the human sacrifice and drink their blood as part of their “Holy” Communion rituals.
Sadomasochistic Egyptian pharaohs even drank women's menstrual blood as part of their “Holy” Communion. For the Egyptians, eating the “gods” was magical. Ancient Britons, on the other hand, had huge “Holy” Grails that could fit an entire human being, which they placed inside as a human sacrifice for them to literally eat and drink.
Thus, seeing a naked Jesus, oozing blood and in bondage on a phallic cross, would give sadomasochistic Christian clergy sexual pleasure and satisfaction. Since the cross is a phallic symbol for many ancient religions, the bondage scene of Jesus on the crucifix gives repressed bisexual priests total sexual satisfaction.
Enacting the sacrament of “Holy” Communion during a mass would also give them this sadomasochistic satisfaction. The sacrament of “Holy” Matrimony derived from bisexual Mithraists also gives them this pleasure. The bondage and pain that the couple has to go through in life gives them ultimate pleasure. During the Inquisition, Catholic clergy also derived sadistic pleasure by torturing and burning non-Christians.
The Prophet Muhammad thought that practices such as these were really Satanic, so he went to war with many tribes and destroyed it. But even with his aversion, he oscillated to the zone of desire by having eleven to thirteen wives. Islam also adopted the crescent moon, which is an ancient pagan symbol for the female sex organ.
But Buddha recognized that the extremes of desire and aversion led to the cycle of suffering. This was his Second Noble Truth. He told the Hindu ascetics that masochistic practices lead to suffering. Aversive reactions lead to suffering.
Desirous-aversive practices of Christian clergy also lead to suffering. Desirous practices, such as purchasing a Porsche, seeking oil in the sea and wishing for nuclear-powered aircraft carriers also lead to suffering.
But as Buddha's Third and Fourth Noble Truth says, when you extinguish these desires and aversions by managing feelings, emotions and actions through the Middle Way, you'll feel better.
Indeed, being a normal person--instead of being a greedy bird, an aversive snake or an ignorant pig (the Three Poisons, as depicted in the Buddhist Wheel of Life)--is much more satisfying in the long run. It's the Middle Way.
lag behind
ang hina naman ng isip ni millado. he cannot relate to what happened with the billboards in edsa, and the kulo exhibit. people strongly objected to sexualized billboards in edsa, things that should have told millado that public sentiments are changing, and changing fast. millado is just too slow to understand the implications of public sentiments.
oh, but we understand what artists are up against. we just dont want them imposing their lack of morals and dirty ideas on us. there are people though who like dirty and perverted arts. try get to them not through the usual way. if millado is smart enough, he'll find that way.
Pwe!
Kapag kayo ang may gwawa ng nakakainsulto, tawag nyo freedom of expression kahit nakakainsulto sa iba.
Kapag kami ay um-express ng aming freedom dahil sa gawa nyo, tawag nyo bullying. Aba gusto nyo yatang gawing tama ang mali, ha.
I got a brilliant artistic idea!
Is there anyone who can send me the pictures of each of my idol filipino artists' (Mr. Cruz and Mr. Millado) mother, wife, and daughters? I think the kind of art that I'm planning to create with these dearest pictures will be very much appreciated by all artists.
Thanks in advance!