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At the European Social Forum in Malmo, Sweden, 4 teenagers will be crucified on 4 metre high crosses of copper. The 4 sculptures were created by Danish artist, Jens Galschiot. They will join a crusade at the ESF in Malmo, 16-21 September, where up to 20,000 grassroots rally to discuss how to get clout on global development.
The sculptures are being made ready (crucified and mounted
on trolleys) at Galschiot’s workshop in
The art happening is titled In the Name of God. The project is an
artistic comment to the extreme Bible fundamentalists – with President Bush and
the Pope in the lead – who preach sexual abstinence until marriage as the only
method to avoid HIV contamination and unwanted pregnancy.
They
will bomb back sexual education and ban
information on contraception that they see as an invitation to voluptuousness.
In the same token the Roman Catholic church asserts
that contraption is impermissible according to the biblical doctrines, so they
advocate the absurd allegation that only ‘unprotected sex’ is admissible. The
consequences may be disastrous for the proliferation of AIDS an STD’s and so
the result will be increased suffering, Jens Galschiot says and
continues: The sculpture is not a comment
on the issue of abortion or stem cells, but should be seen as an artistic
advocacy for the right to contraception and unprejudiced sexual education.
The
sculpture is not a global accusation against Christianity. On the contrary, I admire those Christians who take
the Gospel’s claim of charity seriously – and act accordingly. I think that
progressive Christians should dissociate themselves from the abuse of ‘their’
God for the sake of a reactionary contraception policy.
Also
the women’s movement have plenty of reasons to keep a watchful eye on this new trend towards puritanism and sex-phobia
that will seize any opportunity to roll back the women’s struggle to the
Victorian Era, the artist concludes.
The pregnant teenagers have travelled a lot. One has been displayed in
front of the Cathedral of Copenhagen in co-operation with the Lutheran dean. –
Two joined huge demonstrations in the streets of
The
pregnant teenager symbolizes innocence.
The child that has been led astray due to ignorance, impulsiveness or maybe is
the victim of rape is mercilessly exposed to the ultimate punishment. The
association to Jesus as the innocent sacrificial lamb is apparent.
More information:
Information, free photos of
the Teenagers in Malmö: www.aidoh.dk/esf2008
General information about the
project: www.aidoh.dk/InTheNameOfGod
Contact to the Danish
activists in Malmö: Pia +45 2762 1991, Mikkel +45 2984 8242
European
Social Forum 2008: www.esf2008.org
Artist: Jens
Galschiot, Banevaenget 22, DK-5270 Odense N, Denmark
Tel.: +45 6618 4058, mobile: +45 4044 7058, e-mail: aidoh@aidoh.dk
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