Why Should ‘Politeismo’ by Mideo Cruz Be Considered as an Art?

Is Politeismo really a bad art? The artwork of Mideo Cruz became

controversial for some people. Opponents such as Isagani Cruz claim that it made us
worse persons because people became ‘terrorists’, when it should be making us
better persons. That an art piece should always be the product of long, careful,
profound hard work emphasizing that it is not so with the art piece that Mideo Cruz
has. He also claimed that it may be art, but it is a bad art. It may be art, but not Art.
The art piece ‘Politeismo’ is an Art because it shows denied reality of the society that
we live in and that it expressed through the art piece.
Like what Linda Weintraub said in her book Art on the Edge and Over --
Searching for Art's Meaning in Contemporary Society 1970's-1990's. ‘’ When you think
about art, you have to think about life. If art doesn't sensitize us to something in the
world, clarify our perceptions, make us aware of the decisions we have made, it's
entertainment.’’ In this case, the artist thought well of what he has expressed, He
thought of the artwork so intently in order that people may see that the artwork is a
mirror for a life full of different and opposing realities. It shows how it is a reflection of
the people being shaped and molded by their idols, although a lot of people do not
like to admit that -- resulting into calling the art piece ‘bad’ indicating that it has
touched their nerves. These days, you get called out, ridiculed and threatened if you
put wooden genitalia in front of an image, disregarding to view the work as a whole.
This even shows how idolatry affects the way we function and see the world.
Although the artist received many condemnations, in the end, it was not
found to be lacking in serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value. It did not fail
to show the artists view of reality about the society that we live in. It required artists
and collectors to judge whether it is a bad or good art. It wouldn’t have been
displayed in the Kulo exhibit if it weren’t an Art.