Blasphemous Exhibition

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Friday April 02, 2010 17:02 by pat c

“There is no god higher than truth.”- Ghandi

Show open Fri-Sat-Sun 12-5 [or by appointment] thru April 25. Curated by K. Bear Koss.

Thanks to all of the artists who repsonded to the open call for the Blasphemous Project. Although we could not include everyone due to the extremely high volume of submissions, we will keep all of you in the IMOCA database of artists for future possible shows. We look forward to seeing you all at the opening on Good Friday, April 2.

Opening reception Good Friday, April 2 2010, 6-9 pm.

The Irish Museum of Contemporary Art (IMOCA), Ladd Lane, Off Baggot Street, Dublin 2.

By this time most people in Ireland, and indeed many throughout the world, are aware of the ‘Blasphemy Law’ that came into effect January 1st this year. It may seem like the perfect time- or a perfectly awkward time- for such a law. In just the past few months, when most people would probably be more inclined to hear about how their politicians and governments are trying to salvage their economies, we have heard increasingly shocking reports from within the Irish Catholic system; from Germany’s Catholic churches, including abuse cover-ups and priest-shuffling that reportedly includes the now-pope Benedict; murder attempts on Kurt Westergaard and plots -from within Ireland no less- to assassinate Lars Vilks, two artists who were willing to portray the prophet Mohammad.

In light of all of this, to say that this law is focused in the wrong direction is an understatement. With €100,000 bounties issued on artists’ heads by extremist groups, as in Vilks’ case, or with churches asking their parishioners to donate money to help pay the legal fees for the abuses inflicted upon them and their loved ones (as did Dennis Brennan, Bishop of Ferns in County Wexford, Ireland), it would seem that if any new laws regarding religion were needed, they need to be designed to protect us from them.

Regardless of whatever the opinions of those who have worked to produce or support this show, this is not an atheist agenda. Some of the participating artists identify as christians; others as wiccans, pagans, buddhists. As much as it is a direct confrontation of this dangerous law, Blasphemous is a celebration of artistic freedom and intellectual discourse. Perhaps the most blasphemous notion to any religion is the existence and practice of all others, and so keeping that in mind we applaud the diversity of the artists’ practices, if only to present a tableau for debate.

Curated by K. Bear Koss

Blasphemous Artists

Richard Bartle , George Bolster, Hannah Breslin, Alan Butler, Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Steve Farley, Una Gildea, Sarah Hardacre, Jacinta Jardine, Mark Lomax, Matthew MacKisack, Justin McKeown, Noël O’Callaghan, RedMeat by Max Cannon, Emer Roberts, Will St. Leger, Kate Walters, Paul Woods.