http://blogs.abc.net.au/articulate/2009/01/can-europe-laug.html
Can Europe laugh at itself? <http://blogs.abc.net.au/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2009/01/14 /italy.jpg> Italy got off lightly, being portrayed by soccer players holding suspiciously placed footballs. It's controversial, and not just because of its subject matter. An installation <http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/14/2465936.htm> organised by the Czech EU presidency in Brussels has - ironically - divided Europe. Called Entropa, the eight-tonne work depicts the EU countries as snap-out plastic parts in a giant modelling kit. France is hollow and covered by a sign reading "on strike", Luxembourg is a little lump of gold with a "for sale" tag and the United Kingdom, famous for its aloof attitude towards Europe, is missing altogether. Others are more controversial: Germany has a series of motorways resembling a swastika; Bulgaria is made up of squat toilets; and the Netherlands is under water, with only mosque minarets peeping above the surface. And in mockery of a famous photo of US troops raising the American flag at Iwo Jima, Poland has a model of a group of monks erecting the rainbow flag of the gay community. The work was installed in the grand foyer of the EU presidency building in Brussels over the weekend and according to AFP, "the main reaction [from officials] was laughter". But the BBC <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7827738.stm> reckons other countries are angry about the piece; it says Bulgaria has asked the Czech ambassador to explain. Now even the Czech Government is annoyed, but not about the artwork itself. Apparently the Government believed it was commissioning works from 27 European artists - one from each EU country. Instead, they got a work by Czech artist David Cerny (famous for painting a World War II <http://www.radio.cz/en/article/66274> memorial tank bright pink) and two accomplices. And he <http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_ar ts/article5512107.ece> won't say what became of the $750,000 grant meant for all the contributing artists. Cerny says he's sorry for presenting the project in a fake light, but reckons the work is still relevant. We knew the truth would come out. But before that we wanted to find out if Europe is able to laugh at itself. [Entropa] lampoons the socially activist art that balances on the verge between would-be controversial attacks on national character and undisturbing decoration of an official space. "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." -- George Washington [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [email protected]. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [email protected] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [email protected] Unsubscribe: [email protected] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtmlYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[email protected] mailto:[email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
