Fetus-Seagull Art Outrages Switzerland

[karyn]

maybe from beardface news

Made from a Chinese fetus and a gull corpse, 'Ruan' is a weird lookin' deal.

A Chinese work of art that consists of what appears to be the head of a human fetus grafted onto the body of a seagull afloat in formaldehyde has provoked a complaint in Switzerland.

Adrien de Riedmatten, 29, a former memer of the Young Swiss People's party, filed a complaint with the Bern district attorney on Monday, denouncing the work of Chinese artist Xiao Yu on display at the Bern Art Museum.

"I am in no way against art or for censorship, but I believe we owe a minimum amount of respect to the dead," de Riedmatten said. The daily tabloid Le Matin said on Monday: "A Chinese art exhibition provokes disgust among visitors."

Under Swiss law complaints such as de Riedmatten's require an investigation by law enforcement authorities who must decide whether to press charges.

De Riedmatten hopes to have the piece - titled "Ruan" - removed from the exhibit, and is requesting an inquiry into its composition. "I want to know where this baby comes from and if it was killed for this work," de Riedmatten said. "We know about the problems of late-term abortions in China and we have the right to ask ourselves questions."

His complaint is also directed at museum authorities responsible for displaying the "Mahjong" collection, which features avant-garde Chinese works from the last 25 years. It is also aimed at the owner of the piece, the former ambassador of Switzerland in China, Uli Sigg.

The museum has installed warning signs about the exhibit after the failure to do provoked concern.

"It's true we should have posted a warning notice," said Ruth Gilgen, the museum's spokeswoman. "A class of young children who were visiting the museum were extremely shocked. Today, at the entrance we warn the public that certain works may shock them." Gilgen said, however, there is no intention to withdraw the piece.

The "Mahjong" exhibit in Bern runs until Oct. 16.

[karyn]

confirmed by yahoo

Pickled fetus head fuels art furor Fri Aug 26, 1:19 PM ET

ZURICH (Reuters) - A sculpture made with the pickled head of a dead fetus attached to a seagull's body has fueled a furor in Switzerland about the boundaries of art.

Berne's Museum of Fine Arts removed the piece from a Chinese art exhibition earlier this month after a complaint that it was disrespectful to the dead, and following concerns its grisly appearance might traumatize visiting schoolchildren.

The piece, named "Ruan," stole headlines in Swiss newspapers when artist Xiao Yu confirmed that the fetus head was real.

Now the museum's management will decide next week whether to reinstate the work, which sits pickled in a jar of formaldehyde.

"As a result of the complaint it was taken out of the exhibition with the proviso that there would be a debate about the boundaries of art," museum spokeswoman Ruth Gilgen said.

Earlier this week, ethics experts, artists and art lovers argued at a conference in Berne that keeping the work under wraps was an affront to freedom of expression.

Swiss journalist Adrien de Riedmatten, who lodged the complaint, had demanded to know where the head came from.

"The complaint was not about restricting artistic freedom but rather about where this fetus had come from and how the artist found it," Gilgen said.

She said the head had belonged to a fetus conceived sometime in the early 1960s. It was later a museum exhibit.

"It had formed part of an exhibition in formaldehyde in Peking," Gilgen said. "When that came to be renewed, it fell into the hands of the artist."

Concerns that the fetus might have come from a forced, late-term abortion could not be substantiated, Gilgen said.

[nuklear]

That is really cool. Why do people find things like that so unacceptable?

[Pull~My~Hair]

it is cool, but its still a dead baby..kinda disturbing, just cause I have a little guy...I dont know that it should be removed....but it kinda bothers me

[suicidal_tendencies]

i think it looks awesome, but they shouldnt have used a real fetus. its really disturbing.

[KilLAtomiK]

when it comes to using a real fetus is where i draw the line, id be upset to

[nuklear]

It's from 1960 though... sure a real fetus is kind of wierd but what is the difference of a mummy on display? That was a real person too and people don't have a whole lot of problems with that.

[KilLAtomiK]

yeah but a mummy was treated with a bit more respect than some guy grafting a fetus head onto a seagull and saying its art

[Pull~My~Hair]

if you have kids (and even if you dont) its just sad, I mean...I dunno the poor thing didnt even get a chance at life, I dont care how old it is...now its a freaking seagull...the face (cept for the scary eyes) reminds me of my son when he was born...and some poor lady carried that baby for nine months and had such high hopes for it, and it consumed her...its sad thats all...

[Umbilical Lotus]

And it would be in the ground now, rotted and walked on.

I dunno about you, but if I was a dead baby I'd damn well want to be in a museum, even on a seagull body :p.

[nuklear]

And it would be in the ground now, rotted and walked on.

I dunno about you, but if I was a dead baby I'd damn well want to be in a museum, even on a seagull body :p.

Yea

[Pull~My~Hair]

And it would be in the ground now, rotted and walked on.

I dunno about you, but if I was a dead baby I'd damn well want to be in a museum, even on a seagull body :p.

and if I was the mother of that baby I wouldnt want millions of people gawking at it and having it disected and mutated is just disrespectful

[the_darkness_calls]

i'd like to know where the hell one gets a dead baby head anyway, i'm not gonna go into how wrong i think it is... i dunno what the laws and all are in China, but yeah... that's what creeps me out the most

[KilLAtomiK]

and if I was the mother of that baby I wouldnt want millions of people gawking at it and having it disected and mutated is just disrespectful

id have to agree with you. and for Umbilical Lotus, and nuklear who say theyd rather ne on a seagulls body in a museum, well thats all fine and dandy if it was your choice i doub the baby had any say into where his head would end up

[nuklear]

very good question...
how do you get a baby head?

[Pull~My~Hair]

very good question...
how do you get a baby head?

thats in the second article Karyn posted

"She said the head had belonged to a fetus conceived sometime in the early 1960s. It was later a museum exhibit.

"It had formed part of an exhibition in formaldehyde in Peking," Gilgen said. "When that came to be renewed, it fell into the hands of the artist."

[nuklear]

thats in the second article Karyn posted

"She said the head had belonged to a fetus conceived sometime in the early 1960s. It was later a museum exhibit.

"It had formed part of an exhibition in formaldehyde in Peking," Gilgen said. "When that came to be renewed, it fell into the hands of the artist."

gotcha


Didn't read that part. I kinda skipped around.
I'm surprised the guy was allowed to keep it though.

[Pull~My~Hair]

gotcha


Didn't read that part. I kinda skipped around.
I'm surprised the guy was allowed to keep it though.

foriegn laws are different...

[nuklear]

I guess so.

[Rockwulf]

I bet that thing's delicious!!!

[the_darkness_calls]

ahh yes... next time i should prolly read the whole thing... man, every time i come to this thread and look at that thing it just creeps me out. anyhoo.

[Pull~My~Hair]

I bet that thing's delicious!!!

no way formaldahyde (i totally know that is all wrong) tastes like old rubbing alchohol used for bong water

[the_darkness_calls]

i dunno how it tastes, but man does it smell pretty bad.... a few hours in a lab with that stuff will make ya crazy.. or high... or both!

[KilLAtomiK]

it makes ya crazyhigh

[Pull~My~Hair]

i dunno how it tastes, but man does it smell pretty bad.... a few hours in a lab with that stuff will make ya crazy.. or high... or both!

imagine what eating it would do....youd be fucked up...or dead

[Rockwulf]

Jesus people I don't mean the one soaked in the jar, I meant the rest of the species you goofy bastards!

[Pull~My~Hair]

lmfao...oh shit..so im the sick one now....

[Tequila Zaire]

This should totally be our mascot for this forum.

[Umbilical Lotus]

and if I was the mother of that baby I wouldnt want millions of people gawking at it and having it disected and mutated is just disrespectful

If the baby got kicked around in a jar for a couple decades, it's safe to say all respect for its little life is gone already.

[Amelia G]

Jesus people I don't mean the one soaked in the jar, I meant the rest of the species you goofy bastards!

Seagull or long pork?

[Toe Cutter]

I think it wicked! You could make a mint by putting that in a circus sideshow. Call it bird boy or something. Paint a nice banner.

In regards to investigating where the head came from, I think most people would be shocked and amazed as to how easy it would be to find in third-world countries.

[Rockwulf]

Seagull or long pork?

The baby-headed birds....I mean, I saw it on the internet, so it has to be real right?






Right?