A testament to the power of art
July 20, 2024 11:44 AM Subscribe
In an artist statement, Sikander noted that “Witness” forcibly reinserts women as participants in and spectators of patriarchal law and morality, demanding agency and autonomy through natural elements in light of the overturning of Roe v. Wade and Justice Ginsburg’s 2020 death. When it came time for the works to be installed at the University of Houston campus last February, Sikander and the school were met with intense backlash from far-right, anti-choice lobbyists and organizations that decried the work as a “satanic abortion idol” and petitioned for the exhibition’s cancelation. from Shahzia Sikander Says No to Repairing Her Beheaded Sculpture [Hyperallergic]
Shahzia Sikander’s public sculpture vandalised [Art Review]
Vandals Target Shahzia Sikander Sculpture Honoring Women’s Rights [ArtNet]
Shahzia Sikander’s public sculpture vandalised [Art Review]
Vandals Target Shahzia Sikander Sculpture Honoring Women’s Rights [ArtNet]
Reminder once again that the right has no qualms whatsoever in resorting to violence against fucking anything that displeases them.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:16 PM on July 20 [19 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 12:16 PM on July 20 [19 favorites]
notably, the jabot remains [harpersbazaar], rip rbg
posted by HearHere at 12:22 PM on July 20 [2 favorites]
posted by HearHere at 12:22 PM on July 20 [2 favorites]
And: another hate-fueled anti-art statue-beheading
posted by kozad at 12:25 PM on July 20 [5 favorites]
posted by kozad at 12:25 PM on July 20 [5 favorites]
The longer I live here, the more I think this state is a write-off. Expel Texas, pull all government assets, seal the border and make them truly survive on their own.
Some days, I wish I could afford to leave.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 12:35 PM on July 20 [5 favorites]
Some days, I wish I could afford to leave.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 12:35 PM on July 20 [5 favorites]
The right instead prefers statues of slave owners and butchers of native peoples.
And the hell of it is: there are people who almost certainly are going to point to "well you libtards knocked down statues of these war heroes/leaders/etc. first, so we're just doing what you guys did."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:38 PM on July 20 [3 favorites]
And the hell of it is: there are people who almost certainly are going to point to "well you libtards knocked down statues of these war heroes/leaders/etc. first, so we're just doing what you guys did."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:38 PM on July 20 [3 favorites]
Satanic Abortion Idol hasn’t been the same since Simon Cowell left.
posted by dr_dank at 12:49 PM on July 20 [10 favorites]
posted by dr_dank at 12:49 PM on July 20 [10 favorites]
Despite the messaging from the school, some remain under the impression that the sculpture was damaged by Hurricane Beryl as the storm made landfall in the city early on Monday.
I hope they put up a sign or plaque somewhere near the sculpture, talking about the meaning and history of the piece.
Neither the university nor its police department immediately responded to Hyperallergic’s request to view the footage, and have not confirmed whether they will publicly release it. Sikander told Hyperallergic that she also requested access to the footage and has not yet received it.
That could make for an interesting followup work.
posted by trig at 12:57 PM on July 20 [6 favorites]
I hope they put up a sign or plaque somewhere near the sculpture, talking about the meaning and history of the piece.
Neither the university nor its police department immediately responded to Hyperallergic’s request to view the footage, and have not confirmed whether they will publicly release it. Sikander told Hyperallergic that she also requested access to the footage and has not yet received it.
That could make for an interesting followup work.
posted by trig at 12:57 PM on July 20 [6 favorites]
Always nice to see a work of art connecting so viscerally with its intended audience. Lately I've been fighting off cynicism of art*. It's just all so... constructed. But then you put up a sculpture with the blandest, most inoffensive sentiment and there really are people in the world that just deadass hate women enough to decapitate it. Rupert's-drop assed worldview.
*I really thought it mattered. Thought that music mattered. But did it? Bollocks.
posted by stet at 1:08 PM on July 20 [8 favorites]
*I really thought it mattered. Thought that music mattered. But did it? Bollocks.
posted by stet at 1:08 PM on July 20 [8 favorites]
Reminds me of the left wing students damaging art work in Europe usually on behalf of climate change. As sculpture the piece is eye-catching, but then rather forgettable.
posted by Czjewel at 1:26 PM on July 20 [1 favorite]
posted by Czjewel at 1:26 PM on July 20 [1 favorite]
Are there cases where climate change protests have actually damaged the art? Every case I've seen has targeted works that are protected by plexiglass or some other material. (Also the intent in those protests (however successfully it is or isn't conveyed) isn't about destroying art, it's about highlighting how meaningful it is to protect precious things like art - and therefore all the more so human lives and the planet. Whereas the intent here seems to have been exactly about destroying this art and shutting down the statement it was making. This was violence for the sake of violence and intimidation, not violence for the sake of highlighting how terrible violence is.)
ETA: sorry, hope this doesn't become a derail into climate change art protests
posted by trig at 1:51 PM on July 20 [15 favorites]
ETA: sorry, hope this doesn't become a derail into climate change art protests
posted by trig at 1:51 PM on July 20 [15 favorites]
trig...violence for the sake of highlighting how terrible violence ?
posted by Czjewel at 2:06 PM on July 20 [2 favorites]
posted by Czjewel at 2:06 PM on July 20 [2 favorites]
As sculpture the piece is eye-catching, but then rather forgettable.
I obviously haven't seen in it person, but from the picture I find it powerful and empowering, especially as one of the people whose rights have been stripped away. I'm assuming the folks who commissioned it and had it installed in Houston felt similarly.
posted by hydropsyche at 2:12 PM on July 20 [4 favorites]
I obviously haven't seen in it person, but from the picture I find it powerful and empowering, especially as one of the people whose rights have been stripped away. I'm assuming the folks who commissioned it and had it installed in Houston felt similarly.
posted by hydropsyche at 2:12 PM on July 20 [4 favorites]
trig...Portrait of Lord Balfour, supporter of Israel, destroyed on March 8, 2024 by pro Palestine group.
posted by Czjewel at 2:15 PM on July 20 [2 favorites]
posted by Czjewel at 2:15 PM on July 20 [2 favorites]
there's a big difference in intent with this statue being beheaded vs climate activists vandalising artwork. i'd disagree with trig that climate activists vandalising art is some statement about protecting precious art -- they're throwing soup at famous paintings to gain publicity for their cause. they have no beef (soup) with the painters or the painting, but the painting must be famous so their vandalism & cause gets press coverage.
in this case the beheading of the artwork is targeted violence, an expression of allegiance to the in-group and an act of hostility and violence to the out-group
posted by are-coral-made at 2:17 PM on July 20 [6 favorites]
in this case the beheading of the artwork is targeted violence, an expression of allegiance to the in-group and an act of hostility and violence to the out-group
posted by are-coral-made at 2:17 PM on July 20 [6 favorites]
The longer I live here, the more I think this state is a write-off. Expel Texas, pull all government assets, seal the border and make them truly survive on their own
This is, of course, their goal in the culture war. Your despair is their objective, and voter turnout in Texas shows that they are winning.
They are counting on liberals to hide and run, and not counting on any values-based confrontation.
posted by eustatic at 2:20 PM on July 20 [2 favorites]
This is, of course, their goal in the culture war. Your despair is their objective, and voter turnout in Texas shows that they are winning.
They are counting on liberals to hide and run, and not counting on any values-based confrontation.
posted by eustatic at 2:20 PM on July 20 [2 favorites]
violence for the sake of highlighting how terrible violence
as a siderail, this is an excellent point in general whether art or other aspects of society in general like social media etc.
I get what trig is saying as eye for an eye versus Black eye, I think. but for Pete's sakes I realize the satanic label is rather 19th century why do I feel there's some sort of sick Caravaggio, Judith Beheading Holofernes statement or like David sketching Desmoulins in a Trumble.
I agree 110% with the artist, leave it as it be.
posted by clavdivs at 2:30 PM on July 20 [4 favorites]
as a siderail, this is an excellent point in general whether art or other aspects of society in general like social media etc.
I get what trig is saying as eye for an eye versus Black eye, I think. but for Pete's sakes I realize the satanic label is rather 19th century why do I feel there's some sort of sick Caravaggio, Judith Beheading Holofernes statement or like David sketching Desmoulins in a Trumble.
I agree 110% with the artist, leave it as it be.
posted by clavdivs at 2:30 PM on July 20 [4 favorites]
Literal defacement or iconoclasm.
Not that these shitbois would know what those words meant....spits.
posted by lalochezia at 2:45 PM on July 20 [4 favorites]
Not that these shitbois would know what those words meant....spits.
posted by lalochezia at 2:45 PM on July 20 [4 favorites]
Since it looks like the derail kind of happened and my name's been mentioned a few times in ways that seem potentially to be based on misreading: please note that I did not personally advocate for the art "destruction" tactic that a few climate activists have used. I did point out that the climate change art protests have intentionally not actually been damaging art, and therefore seem very different to me than the act of vandalism/intimidation this thread is about. "You care about protecting famous pieces of art, so how can you not care about protecting lives and the planet" is a statement that many of those particular climate activists have made; it is not my personal statement. The vandalism of the Lord Balfour painting seems different to me than the climate change protests, not just because the cause is different but also in intent and actual damage done. It seems closer, but also, nonetheless, not identical, to the vandalism of Sikander's piece.
posted by trig at 3:18 PM on July 20 [7 favorites]
posted by trig at 3:18 PM on July 20 [7 favorites]
Literal defacement or iconoclasm.
Not that these shitbois would know what those words meant....spits.
Well, according to the article anti-choice activists were calling it a "satanic abortion idol", so maybe they did see themselves as destroying icons in the original sense of the word...
posted by trig at 3:33 PM on July 20 [2 favorites]
Not that these shitbois would know what those words meant....spits.
Well, according to the article anti-choice activists were calling it a "satanic abortion idol", so maybe they did see themselves as destroying icons in the original sense of the word...
posted by trig at 3:33 PM on July 20 [2 favorites]
What clavdivs said. I think...
posted by y2karl at 5:51 PM on July 20 [1 favorite]
posted by y2karl at 5:51 PM on July 20 [1 favorite]
so maybe they did see themselves as destroying icons in the original sense of the word..
That is a good point. But what makes the act effete is the sculpture remains, headless, lopping off the heads of marble statues during Regine change in Rome was more utilitarian as alot of those statues bodies were reused.
posted by clavdivs at 6:24 PM on July 20 [1 favorite]
That is a good point. But what makes the act effete is the sculpture remains, headless, lopping off the heads of marble statues during Regine change in Rome was more utilitarian as alot of those statues bodies were reused.
posted by clavdivs at 6:24 PM on July 20 [1 favorite]
Despite the messaging from the school, some remain under the impression that the sculpture was damaged by Hurricane Beryl as the storm made landfall in the city early on Monday.
More like 'Himmicane Incel', from which the windspeed and air temperature seem to be increasing on a daily basis.
posted by jamjam at 6:27 PM on July 20 [4 favorites]
More like 'Himmicane Incel', from which the windspeed and air temperature seem to be increasing on a daily basis.
posted by jamjam at 6:27 PM on July 20 [4 favorites]
"Himmicane Incel"! Fabulous use of words!
posted by mareli at 7:00 PM on July 20 [1 favorite]
posted by mareli at 7:00 PM on July 20 [1 favorite]
ArtReview link has this gobsmackingly gorgeous photo of the intact sculpture, all lit up at night. Look at the protestors in this picture! Signs down, backs to the camera, it's likely they're waiting around for more group members or whatever, but they appear to be standing in awe.
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:42 PM on July 20 [2 favorites]
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:42 PM on July 20 [2 favorites]
« Older The push to put native grains on the menu | Plate Tectonics and the Fermi Paradox Newer »
posted by caviar2d2 at 12:07 PM on July 20 [10 favorites]