Spanish artist Salvador Luna and his partner, Antonio Hernández, have come up against some opposition over their newest show, 1 + 1 = Nous. The ceramicists’ commentary on gay marriage had been scheduled to open at Sótano Uno hall this month, but now it may not see the light of day.
The venue in question once counted itself part of a convent. Though it hasn’t been used as such in years, one Catholic priest objects to showing a gay-themed show in the once holy space. Calling for an end to the exhibit, Father Gonzalo MartÃn says:
What [the artists] are saying is that two men kissing makes a family, and this is their opinion, not that of the Church. We are doing no more in objecting than insisting that the Town Hall complies with the terms of the agreement we signed in handing over the convent. It states specifically that no activities are to be allowed to take place there that are contrary to Church teachings.
MartÃn also objected to a post showing Luna (pictured) and Hernández in a loving lip-lock.
In light of MartÃn’s protests, Luna and Hernández have made postcards of the controversial poster, adding a special message: “Censored by the Church hierarchy”. The cards also accuse MartÃn and his colleagues of stifling free speech. Luna remarked: “I’m not prepared to step down on this issue. Can I not give my marriage partner a kiss in public.”
MartÃn, meanwhile, claims his protests have nothing to do with the artist’s sexuality, simply the message: “For example, we once considered a choral piece to be inappropriate, so we took it out.” While that may be true, the priest cannot deny his political motivations. We’re sure there would be no problem if the couple in question were straight. The church loves to celebrate marriage. It’s the homo-undertones that ruffle MartÃn’s feathers.
How about we take this to the next level?
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CoÃn Town Hall postpones exhibition by gay artists to avoid “social unrest” [Sur]
Shants
While I don’t personally agree with the Church’s stance on homosexuality, if they’ve made some kind of agreement in handing over this formerly sacred space to the town, it would only make sense that the town comply with terms of the agreement. I appreciate that this is a great opportunity for this artist to show his work, but surely he’s not surprised at the reaction of the priest. In fact it seems like maybe there’s an element of a ‘fuck you’ in the presentation of this piece. Rather that trying to get all up in the face of outdated religions with lame ideology, why don’t people focus on maintaining a big fat line between church and state, and let state handle the fair treatment of all people.
Phil
Guy, guys…. seriously, now. Should our blogging friends at Queerty really be using terms like “gay marriage”? A recent conservative conference recommended that anti-GLBT groups use this phrase repeatedly, since it inspires fear and uncertainty among fence-sitters.
How about making the editorial commitment to consistently use the preferred term: MARRIAGE EQUALITY.