Biennale artwork ‘offensive’

Biennale artwork ‘offensive’

Another art war is brewing in Sydney, this time over homophobic graffiti featured in an exhibition on Cockatoo Island for the 2008 Biennale.
The government-funded exhibition included an installation by indigenous artist Vernon Ah Kee that has been referred to the Anti-Discrimination Board for racial and homophobic vilification.
The installation, called The Skin That I Live In, consisted of removing the partitions from a toilet block and exposing the 20-year-old graffiti written by wharfies naming several men as cocksuckers, in addition to racial vilification against Mediterranean immigrants.
In response to a complaint from a viewer, Biennale of Sydney organisers placed a warning sign that the work includes offensive material and is not suitable for children.
Bruce Thompson, a gay man from Sydney who made the complaint to the Anti-Discrimination Board, said the offensive graffiti should have been removed when first discovered, not re-exposed to cause further hurt.
When I went, there was no mention of an [artwork] name, all it said was Vernon Ah Kee, Thompson told Sydney Star Observer.
There are lots of people who are gay in the inner-west as well as people of Mediterranean decent, and for many this [graffiti] is offensive.
It should never have been approved by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and the state government for re-use by an artist with the graffiti intact.
Biennale CEO Marah Braye said the work for the Biennale in Sydney said the graffiti had heritage value and the installation was intended to highlight the racist, homophobic and prejudicial attitudes of the dock workers and Australia.
He’s using it to highlight racism and look at racism as it occurs beh-ind the scenes. It’s a denunciation of the vulgar and racist language used by the dockworkers on Cockatoo Island at the time, Braye said.
Although it is of historic value the artist is underlining that these attitudes still permeate contemporary culture.
It continues the themes of Ah Kee’s other works, she said, such as his portraits of family members which were also intended to disturb.
Ah Kee declined requests to explain the work.
Thompson said he would seek compensation to go to charities in the gay and Mediterranean communities, including the Luncheon Club and Twenty10.
info: The Biennale is on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Cockatoo Island until 7 September. Further details about the work and opening hours are available at www.biennaleofsydney.com.au.

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16 responses to “Biennale artwork ‘offensive’”

  1. Im gay and a studying artist and from what the text says i believe the guy is a tool to bitch about that. Its not like the guy wrote it, some randoms wrote it and no matter what their will always be gay haters. The guy should be proud to be a cock sucker like i am.

  2. As a proud Italian and proud gay man(who likes to suck cock) – I took no offence at the Cockatoo Island art…..

  3. Paul – what has racism got to do with gay men? Your naivity is clearly reflected in your previous post. What has history got to do with the present? What has art got to do with life?

  4. @ Paul Mitchell

    Are you seriously advocating erasing/white washing history? I wouldn’t want to live in a country like that ;-)

  5. These words were written by actual people. It’s part of our history and we have to honour that. Far better to use this public display as an opportunity for society to explore historical social attitudes than have it shut down.

    Many gay men have written things on the walls of toilet cubicles over the years.

  6. what a waste of the ADB’s time. The artists is aboriginal, the curator italian. what does it take for some people to get a life?

  7. It is NOT freedom of speech (FOS), it is vilification on gay men this in totally and uttery unsatisfactory. I will start to campain to remove it completly with a water-based washable gun hose with $10,900 woth of Council money. I am a big supporter of gay rights and as a gay man myself, I also support freedom of speech, but NEVER EVER harrasing or vilifying any individual or groups of people.

  8. Oliver ..real art confronts and challenges people…your definition of art is kitch ! Stick to subjects you know
    something about.Your comments just make you look stupid.
    ps love your post GD !! lol

  9. GD I wouldnt waste my Visionary senses looking at it. I can see my own, “Man with Dildo” in the mirror

  10. those people that wrote graffiti years ago are not so different from the people of today.
    its time everybody know matter what nationality grew up and moved into the 21st century that includes polititions and ordinary citizens. mother of gay son sick of hearing pithy comments and discrimination get a life.

  11. “What I consider Art is a nice Scenery painting, portaiture and everyday objects”

    Oliver, you’d love my original print – “Man with dildo – Blue Mountains.”

  12. If this Graffiti offends people then its not Art!! its just Gutter Trash. What I consider Art is a nice Scenery painting, portaiture and everyday objects, however using Children and Graffiti as subjects is plain WRONG!!!

  13. I agree with the Biennale entirely. Bruce Thompson needs to grow up. Historical graffiti is just that – historical graffiti. Before the next delicate little flower runs off to the ADB “outraged” on behalf of all gay men, could he maybe run it by us first?

  14. I’m offended by over-sensitive queens like Bruce Thompson who can’t distinguish between artistic expression and exploitation.