Venice Biennale Golden Lion is given to Argentine artist León Ferrari.
The art of Leon Ferrari is characterized by protests: Against politics and Christian religion. In 1976 he was forced to move to Brazil:
I became a full-time artist there. In Buenos Aires I made my living as an engineer and made works of art in my spare time. I was treated well in Sao Paulo and did not suffer being in exile
Ferrari ’s famous sculpture titled Western and Christian civilization (1964) shows a crucified Christ tied to an American fighter jet. His arms span the wings as he grasps a missile on either side, resembling a cross.
It was meant as a protest against the Vietnam War. However, it was not included in the exhibition in the Di Tella institute because they did not want to offend the church, but it was hanging there in the week before the opening so everybody saw it anyway. I left the sculpture in a deposit when I moved to Brazil and virtually forgot about it. Then I found this old receipt and went to have a look thinking it would have disappeared because I had stopped paying years ago. However, the man in charge of the deposit recognized me and after sort of settling the bill I took it with me. The work was exhibited various times since then, but it would be good to have a permanent place because it is stored again.
Until 21 november the sculpture is being exhibited at 52 Venice Biennale.
Casa Blanca, performance, Leon Ferrari y Pons
In 2000 he showed an installation of Christs and virgins playing chess with devils and penises, against the promises of eternal life. He also paid homage to condoms, which he would accompany by texts saying that by opposing these the church was promoting aids, whereas in a series of collages he denounced their collaboration with the military dictatorship. During the sixties, Ferrari participated in exhibitions like Malvenido Rockefeller protesting this politician’s visit to Argentina and ‘Tucumán Arde’, where treacherous economic politics had led to the closure of sugar factories leaving people in misery. His 2001 exhibition in Spain, which dealt with torture and the Catholic Church, was met with demonstrations and prayer meetings, and even paint-throwing and tear gas. In 2004, his exhibition in Recoleta, Buenos Aires, was forced to close following intervention by a Catholic priest and a subsequent court order. Protests and government action allowed the exhibition to reopen
-¿Le preocupa la censura de tus obras?
-A diferencia de la práctica tradicional de los artistas que cuando les censuran una pieza retiran toda su obra, yo dejo el resto, porque me parece que la censura forma parte de la obra. En el caso del ICI, por ejemplo, era mejor el espectáculo de la gente afuera que lo que pasaba adentro… Hicieron una misa en la puerta y rezaban el rosario, con carteles y figuras religiosas. Hasta me tiraron una granada de gas lacrimógeno. Con la reacción del publico las obras se vuelven una verdadera intervención. En el 92 expuse una obra que se llamaba La Justicia, en la que una gallina defecada en una balanza y me escribieron de todo: “”Qué culpa tiene la gallina de que vos quieras hacer arte”, “”Gallo: cagate en este arte deshumnanizante” y “Ojalá te encierren a vos”. Con eso armé al año siguiente una muestra que se llamó Autocensura. La gallina, esta vez, estaba embalsamada.
-¿Le parece peor la censura del público que la oficial?
-Peor no… mejor. Hay algunos, incluso, que se acercan a la verdad: los que me dicen herejes, por ejemplo. En cambio, no deja de llamarme la atención esa preocupación excesiva por la gallina. La Sociedad Protectora de Animales mandó una carta pidiendo que la sacara. Yo les contesté explicándoles que esa gallina estaba a la espera de que la degollaran y que, por lo tanto, tenía mucho mejor destino como obra de arte. Más satisfacción me dio cuando alguien me puteó porque hacía cagar una paloma blanca sobre una imagen del Juicio Final de Miguel Angel. Por lo menos sentí que había llegado mi crítica a la cultura. El Bosco, Miguel Angel, Giotto, sin dudas hicieron maravillas pero que justificaron una cultura basada en la tortura, en la persecución, en el castigo… Ese arte avaló el accionar de la Iglesia. Así que la reacción de este hombre me sirvió para constatar de que alguien me escuchaba. Las protestas intervienen directamente sobre la obra y la completan. Peor que las puteadas es la indiferencia.
Source:Leon Ferrari
