Abstract
In 2014, Brett Bailey’s Exhibit B site-specific installation created a media storm and protests throughout Europe. One such protest was in London, leading to the cancellation of his show at the Barbican. Consternation caused by art work is not a new phenomenon, and indeed one of the enduring purposes of art is to push the boundaries of acceptability and to show sights that are normally kept hidden from the public gaze. From some of the Impressionists’ exhibits to twentieth century art works such as Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ in 1987 and Chris Ofili’s The Holy Virgin Mary 1996, art has caused offence in a variety of ways. This article examines Exhibit B to identify the reasons for its reception. In broad outline, as a white artist his presentation of black oppression was regarded at best as naïve and at worse as culturally inappropriate.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 27-38 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Journal for Cultural Research |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 24 Jan 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Whose history is it anyway? The case of Exhibit B. / Arya, Rina.
In: Journal for Cultural Research, Vol. 22, No. 1, 2018, p. 27-38.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Whose history is it anyway? The case of Exhibit B
AU - Arya, Rina
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - In 2014, Brett Bailey’s Exhibit B site-specific installation created a media storm and protests throughout Europe. One such protest was in London, leading to the cancellation of his show at the Barbican. Consternation caused by art work is not a new phenomenon, and indeed one of the enduring purposes of art is to push the boundaries of acceptability and to show sights that are normally kept hidden from the public gaze. From some of the Impressionists’ exhibits to twentieth century art works such as Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ in 1987 and Chris Ofili’s The Holy Virgin Mary 1996, art has caused offence in a variety of ways. This article examines Exhibit B to identify the reasons for its reception. In broad outline, as a white artist his presentation of black oppression was regarded at best as naïve and at worse as culturally inappropriate.
AB - In 2014, Brett Bailey’s Exhibit B site-specific installation created a media storm and protests throughout Europe. One such protest was in London, leading to the cancellation of his show at the Barbican. Consternation caused by art work is not a new phenomenon, and indeed one of the enduring purposes of art is to push the boundaries of acceptability and to show sights that are normally kept hidden from the public gaze. From some of the Impressionists’ exhibits to twentieth century art works such as Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ in 1987 and Chris Ofili’s The Holy Virgin Mary 1996, art has caused offence in a variety of ways. This article examines Exhibit B to identify the reasons for its reception. In broad outline, as a white artist his presentation of black oppression was regarded at best as naïve and at worse as culturally inappropriate.
KW - censorship
KW - Cultural appropriation
KW - objectification
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85041130546&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/14797585.2018.1426476
DO - 10.1080/14797585.2018.1426476
M3 - Article
VL - 22
SP - 27
EP - 38
JO - Journal for Cultural Research
JF - Journal for Cultural Research
SN - 1479-7585
IS - 1
ER -