Sir Harold Evans helmed a panel to discuss the merits of free and uncensored art. The sold out event was put together by Glenn D. Lowry and Klaus Biesenbach of Moma and Anne Pasternak of Creative Time in little more than a week. There is apparently a great hunger to discuss and try to understand the values of free expression in our increasingly dangerous world. The panelists included artists Sharon Hayes, Kadar Attia, comedian Aasif Mandviwala, Jason Mojica, Editor-in-Chief of Vice News, and Art History Professor Simon Schama. It was organized with the help of Creative Time.
Aasif: has more to do with coming up with a newsworthy act for al qaeda .
Simon: Art’s not the issue; we have to fight the gains of the Enlightenment all over again.
Jason: Vice didn’t publish Hebdo’s cartoon of Mohammed after the shooting because it wasn’t news.
Kader: Injury of colonization in France is deep; radical Islamism — there are legitimate reasons they are inspired.
It wasn’t the most coherent discussion but it was lively and important. We need to talk about these things…like why we’re still supporting a relationship with fundamentalist Saudi Arabia while bloggers get a thousand lashes and women fight for the right to drive.
Piss Christ’s Andres Serrano sat behind me; one artist who has had to deal with objections to his transgressive and beautiful work.