Activity Sheet

Activity 1

NAME: _________________________________ DATE: ________________

COURSE YEAR SEC: ____________________ SCORE: ______________

Direction: Put the case for or against your view or idea by giving evidence for your
claims/reasons for or against; attempt to influence the reader to accept your view.

Part 1. Answer comprehensively.

Art and Offense

In 2011, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) mounted an exhibit that included Mideo Cruz’s
“Politeismo”: an installation comprised of an amalgam of many images including a statue of Jesus
wearing Mickey Mouse ears, a crucifix adorned with a bright red phallus, and a picture of the face of
Jesus with a wooden ash tray with penis tacked on the middle. Apparently conceived as a piece to
promote critical thought and perhaps debate on idolatry, it was seen by many in this predominantly
Catholic country to be a deliberate insult to their faith. Given the public outcry and the strong
denouncement from various religious and secular leaders, the exhibit was abruptly closed. In addition
to being threatened and having his work vandalized, Cruz was charged with obscenity. However, he
(as well as the administrators of the CCP) was acquitted of these charges by the courts in 2013).

A case such as this allows us to consider questions on aesthetics, such as “Is it the point of the work of
art to be appealing or to be thought-provoking?” It also allows us to consider political questions, such
as “Who gets to decide which artists and which projects may or may not receive funding from the
state?” Our concern here is ethical, and perhaps we can recognize that a number of highly significant
ethical questions can be raised: Does the artist have an ethical obligation to the sensibilities of his
audience? Or does he have a moral obligation only to be faithful to his vision and his art? What
constitutes offense, and at what point is offense severe enough as to require control or to justify
retribution? Does a religious majority have a monopoly on the understanding of what is right or wrong?
Does an artist have absolute freedom of expression, or are there proper restrictions to this right?
(Decide what you think based on the argument or evidence).

What do you think?

Part II. Answer comprehensively.
I. Imagine a scenario in which an image of someone who is the object of religious devotion
(such as Jesus Christ or Mary, the Mother of Jesus) is placed side by side with a phallic
image?
 a. Is this an ethical issue? Why or why not?
b. Does the question of rightness or wrongness of this depend on which religion you
belong to? Explain your answer.

II. Look for another example of an artistic creation – a painting, poem, or song – that is a
source of either actual or potential conflict between the expression of the artist and
sensibility that finds this offensive. Present the significant details and the reasons that the
conflicting sides might have on this issue.

III. Look for and list down other sources wherein we find a dialogue between ethics and the
various domains of aesthetic, culture and religion.