Piece of Art offends and "hurts" poor little Israel

The Israeli embassy in Madrid is "hurt" and "offended!"  How touching...  It's okay for Israelis to kill everyday, to spit on Christians, to kidnap people and harvest their organs, to arrest and jail children, to use illegal weapons, to impose an illegal siege on a million and a half people in Gaza, to occupy Palestine, Syria and Lebanon and to threaten more war and occupation everyday..

  It's okay for Israel to ignore International Law, UN resolutions, the International Court of Justice, the NPT and on and on... but its not okay for a piece of art to be critical of "poor little Israel"...  After 62 years of lies, Israel can no longer hide its true ugly colors from the world... even with its total control of mainstream media...

Scroll dowm for pictures... on independent media...

http://www.vosizneias.com/49691/2010/02/18/madrid-spain-criticism-against-controversial-sculpture-at-art-fair/

A controversial art piece on exhibition at the Madrid art fair, was condemned by the Israeli Embassy in Madrid as being "offensive to Judaism," Channel 2 news reported on Thursday.

"The hurtful message this piece conveys doesn't hurt less because it is displayed under the veil of art," the Israeli embassy wrote in a letter to the organizers of ARCO art fair, one of the world's top contemporary art fairs.

The installation "Stairway to Heaven," by Spanish artist Eugenio Merino, displays a crouching Muslim, topped by a kneeling Christian, and he in turn is topped by a Jew in prayer. Next to the sculpture was displayed a machine gun with a Menorah shooting out of its barrel.

Merino denied that the sculpture was provocative, and said it reflected "the idea of coexistence between the three religions, all of which are trying to reach God."

The work, which used human hair and silicone to give it a real look, was sold immediately to a European art collector for 50,000 Euros.

The Spanish paper the daily El Mundo described the fair as the most controversial ARCO so far, after gallery owners accused the fair company IFEMA of trying to influence the choice of participants.

Critics also slammed the fair as too big and overpriced, complaining that it had lost importance and come under political influences.

A sculpture entitled Stairway to Heaven by Catalan Eugenio Merino offends Israelis and Jews

The Israeli embassy believes that the work by Merino have "items offensive to Jews, Israelis, and probably others

The artist says that 'Stairway to Heaven', which is exhibited in ARCO, is not anti-Semitic, but reflects the alliance of civilizations.

The Israeli Embassy in Madrid sent a statement stressing its rejection of works by the Catalan artist Eugenio Merino presented in the gallery's booth at the fair in Madrid 2010. Specifically, it shows its revulsion over the piece entitled Stairway to Heaven, which showed three Christians (a Muslim, a priest and a Jew) praying atop one another.

The Israeli embassy believes that the work by Merino have "items offensive to Jews, Israelis, and probably others." "Values such as freedom of expression or artistic freedom sometimes serve in the costume of prejudice, stereotypes or mere provocation for provocation". It also states that something "offensive is no less hurtful for pretending to be an artistic work." "We think this is one of those cases and declare that this kind of provocation is successful precisely because common sense can not leave them unanswered".

In the same vein, he explained that religion is always "problem" and said he has tried to be as "respectful as possible". "I accept their criticism, but they must accept my work," said the artist, who considers that his piece is not "aggressive" because it has an "air of true religiosity." "You always have an opinion or interpretation that can not control. What others think depends on many elements I can not control, such as where you lived.

More by the same artist:  Do you think he is making fun of "Al Qaeda" and the US???

"Staying Alive, Staying Alive!"

Dalai Lama

Street Anatomy

I love this one.. 

Look at the bottle in the boys hand or on the floor..  Coca Cola was the first product on the ground after the US bombing of Iraq...  Coca Cola is always among the first brands to attack newly invaded markets who prior to the invasion refused to buy Coca Cola and many other Western brands because they were self sufficient..

Very Interesting artist!!!