Wafaa Bilal Censored at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
March 11, 2008
Via B. Blagojević for ArtCal “Iraqi American video artist Wafaa Bilal’s recent exhibition at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, Virtual Jihadi, was closed by the University’s administration a day after its initial opening on 5 March 2008.
A conservative commentator on the state payroll called for protests to Bilal’s exhibition before its opening in the pages of the Troy Record, citing a work based on an incendiary video game exhibited in a university art gallery.
The offending work, a video in which Bilal depicts himself as an Iraqi civilian radicalized by his brother’s death and driven to join an Al-Qaidea in Iraq cell as a suicide bomber, positions the artist’s character in an interactive video game called The Night of Bush Capturing, an Islamist détournement of Hunt for Saddam, an American first person shooter in which a protagonist U.S. soldier makes his way through a virtual world populated by stereotypical Iraqi men in an Odyssean journey to “hunt” and kill former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. RPI cited concerns that Balil’s work may make use of university resources to ‘provide a platform for what may be a product of a terrorist organization or which suggests violence directed toward the president of the United States and his family.’
Following the censoring of the exhibition at the university art gallery, Balil seems to have been blacklisted from campus and denied access to university buidlings, despite being RPI’s current artist in residence and being assured by the university president that he remains a welcome member of the community regardless of the recent controversy. Balil describes this and more in a recent video interview.”
To view the rest of the article please visit ArtCal
Texas Voters Take the Fast Lane (and every other one) to the Polls
February 25, 2008
After years of Redistricting in the State of Texas some polling places have been moved to incredibly distant locations in order to encourage voter apathy and lower turnout (if you are not real sure on how Redistricting works and why it happens then check out this Sim City inspired educational game ) .
Well the students of the Prairie View A&M University (The second oldest public institution of higher education in Texas, a historically black university ranked as one of the top producers of engineers & nurses) decided to go to their polling place (even though it is 7 miles away) by foot. Essentially shutting down the highway that feeds the town and making sure their voice was heard. Video was taken of the march and can be seen below.
Duncan and Brian Speak at CAA
February 25, 2008
This Thursday, Duncan and Brian spoke about Bad At Sports at the College Art Association 2008 Annual Conference in lovely Dallas, TX. The panel was titled “artblogging == global.exibit(local)” and was a part of the New Media Caucus at the Dallas Contemporary. The intrepid BAS representatives overcame a lack of audio support (important for a podcast…) and anchored the panel with an in depth look at how BAS positions itself as a tool for artists in the contemporary art world.
A supporting blog for the panel can be found at artblogging.org.
The Ultimate Art School Building
January 25, 2008
The Ultimate Art School Building wasn’t built in NYC of course (space issues) or Chicago (would have to be built with cut stone) or Kansas City even (doesn’t have fountains in the design) no the Ultimate Art School building was built in none other then the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
The School of Art, Design and Media a 5-story facility nestled in the corner of the campus with a forest to it’s back blends the heart shaped grass and glass building amazingly with the surroundings, gives a relaxing cool demeanor and most importantly is now the best place in the world to play hacky sack (aka footbag).
Feel free to post photos of your Art & Design building (or barracks as the case may be).
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Sir Robert J. Loescher: 1937 - 2007
January 9, 2008
Sir Robert J. Loescher, 70, died on December 8, 2007.
Mr. Loescher was Professor Emeritis at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and founder of SAIC Art History Department. He was knighted in 1990 by King Juan Carlos, of Spain.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his infant brother, George. He is survived by his brothers, Thomas Loescher, of Tucson, Arizona, and Richard Loescher, of Appleton, Wisconsin; friends, Shay DeGrandis, Nathan DeFoor, Brian Sikes and Bibiana Suarez, of Chicago; Joyce Neimanas, of Albuquerque; Wendy Woon, of New York; and many other colleagues and friends.
A memorial service to honor Sir Robert Loescher, in conjunction with the Midwest Art History Society Conference, will be held on April 4, 2008, at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Robert J. Loescher, a specialist in Spanish and Latin American art, helped revolutionize the art history program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he taught for more than 30 years.
Mr. Loescher, 70, died in his Lake View home Saturday, Dec. 8, having had suffered from heart problems and was weakened by a recent operation.
Richard & Sarah had the pleasure of knowing and working with Mr. Loescher and will miss him greatly.
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