Art Police: the saga continues
Things are heating up around the censorship of artist Waffa Bilal at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (see my first postings on this story below).
There's a good YouTube interview with Bilal on the website of the Project for a New American University, along with an extensive written commentary about the matter by Brian Holmes.
Here's another link to the video:
Tonight, 3/10/08, at the Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy, the banned exhibition will be shown, 6:00 for the reception for Professor Bilal, 7:00 for the exhibition of his work. Here's the announcement from the Sanctuary folks:
"Iraq-born video artist Wafaa Bilal will be on hand for a reception at 6 PM followed at 7 PM by a presentation about his installation "Virtual Jihadi" which will be on display at The Sanctuary for Independent Media through April 4, 2008. Admission is by
donation ($10 suggested, $5 student/low income). Another version of this installation opened on March 5, 2008 at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute but as reported by the Times Union
it was abruptly closed the following day.. . . . A local Republican
operative on the payroll of the City of Troy, Rensselaer County /and/ NY
State called for protests at the Monday, March 10 show opening at the
Sanctuary in an article in the Troy Record."
And this just in.... An unconfirmed report from one of my students indicates that the website of the College Republicans has been taken down by RPI. Irony of ironies. Will they scream "CENSORSHIP!!!!"?
You can't make this stuff up!
(For better or worse, the constitutionally protected web bile issued by the College Republicans has been preserved for posterity, but I won't bother reprinting it here.)
I'm looking forward to tonight's art program. Let's hope that people on all sides remain cool, respectful and non-violent, despite their disagreements.
- Langdon
Things are heating up around the censorship of artist Waffa Bilal at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (see my first postings on this story below).
There's a good YouTube interview with Bilal on the website of the Project for a New American University, along with an extensive written commentary about the matter by Brian Holmes.
Here's another link to the video:
Tonight, 3/10/08, at the Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy, the banned exhibition will be shown, 6:00 for the reception for Professor Bilal, 7:00 for the exhibition of his work. Here's the announcement from the Sanctuary folks:
"Iraq-born video artist Wafaa Bilal will be on hand for a reception at 6 PM followed at 7 PM by a presentation about his installation "Virtual Jihadi" which will be on display at The Sanctuary for Independent Media through April 4, 2008. Admission is by
donation ($10 suggested, $5 student/low income). Another version of this installation opened on March 5, 2008 at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute but as reported by the Times Union
it was abruptly closed the following day.. . . . A local Republican
operative on the payroll of the City of Troy, Rensselaer County /and/ NY
State called for protests at the Monday, March 10 show opening at the
Sanctuary in an article in the Troy Record."
And this just in.... An unconfirmed report from one of my students indicates that the website of the College Republicans has been taken down by RPI. Irony of ironies. Will they scream "CENSORSHIP!!!!"?
You can't make this stuff up!
(For better or worse, the constitutionally protected web bile issued by the College Republicans has been preserved for posterity, but I won't bother reprinting it here.)
I'm looking forward to tonight's art program. Let's hope that people on all sides remain cool, respectful and non-violent, despite their disagreements.
- Langdon