2. (If you are one of the 2 or 3 people living who have not read The Da Vinci Code, SPOILER ALERT!) In The Da Vinci Code, the badly-written yet riveting novel by Dan Brown, the mystery is built around the Holy Blood, Holy Grail theory that Jesus Christ had married Mary Magdalene. (The authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail sued Brown, to no avail.) Of course the Catholic Church expressed its outrage, helping push Brown’s potboiler all the way to the top of the bestseller lists and keeping it there.
Experience has shown that an endorsement from the Church is not nearly as effective at moving merchandise as condemnation from the Church. We are seeing this in the case of Mideo Cruz, whom the general public would not have heard of it he hadn’t ticked off the righteous faithful. There’s no merchandise, but there is a reputation to be made.
Seriously, if the protectors of morality had not reacted so loudly to Cruz’s exhibit, most of us would be unaware of his existence (No offense to Mr. Cruz). The show would be viewed by the regular CCP audience, then it would end and likely be forgotten. Not anymore.
Mideo Cruz will now be viewed as a victim of religious oppression, the committed artist who dared violate taboos and challenge the established order etc etc, add your own grant proposal here. With all the yelling, we can’t hear ourselves ask the question: Is the artwork any good?
via Jessica Zafra: You say ‘Blasphemy’, they say ‘Fascism’, we say ‘Huh?’ – Interaksyon.com.
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