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An Easter Story: In Three Acts
Happy Easter everybody...Act 1: NEW YORK -- World renowned artist Cosimo Cavallaro unveils his latest and most striking installation at the Lab Gallery (at the Roger Smith Hotel, 47th and Lexington avenue) in the early morning hours of April 1st. Cavallaro's work, entitled "My Sweet Lord" is a 6 foot tall, anatomically correct sculpture of Jesus Christ in milk chocolate. Pic at the link. "I'm truly thrilled to be working with Cosimo again," says Matt Semler Creative Director of the Lab. "The sign of any great artist is how their work affects the observer. His art always gets a reaction, but this is the most dramatic piece of his career. It is absolutely amazing." It's just faaaaabulous! The exhibit can be viewed from the street when the velvet curtains of the gallery open from midnight to 1 AM and 6 PM to 7PM (starting April 1st and closing April 7th). Although Cavallaro has work in permanent collections of museums world-wide, he is best remembered for covering a New York City hotel room in melted cheese (1999). It wasn't a chocolate Jesus, but it was faaaaabulous! Act 2: Catholic League gets wind of it. Not happy... NAKED JESUSGENITALS EXPOSEDCRUCIFIED From April 1 to April 7, the Roger Smith Lab Gallery at the Roger Smith Hotel in New York City will display a 6-foot tall anatomically correct sculpture of Jesus in milk chocolate; the figure is depicted as crucified. Artist Cosimo Cavallaro titles his work My Sweet Lord. A picture is available on the Internet. Catholic League president Bill Donohue outlined his game plan today:The Roger Smith Hotel is located in the heart of New York City, and it boasts on its website that its Lab Gallery is a high traffic, fast paced venue. Indeed it is: the gallery is located on street level, easily accessible to the public. But it is sure bet that in the years to come there will be little in the way of high traffic coming from the Christian community. As Ive said many times before, Lent is the season for non-believers to sow seeds of doubt about Jesus. Whats scheduled to go on at the Roger Smith Hotel, however, is of a different genre: this is hate speech. And choosing Holy Weekthe display opens on Palm Sunday and ends on Holy Saturdaymakes it a direct in-your-face assault on Christians. All those involved are lucky that angry Christians dont react the way extremist Muslims do when theyre offendedotherwise they may have more than their heads cut off. James Knowles, President and CEO of the Roger Smith Hotel (interestingly, he also calls himself Artist-in-Residence), should be especially grateful. And if he tries to spin this as reverential, then he should substitute Muhammad for Jesus and display him during Ramadan. I'd pay to see that... I am contacting hundreds of organizations about this assault. Our allied list contains scores of Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu organizations, as well as secular groups, that share our concerns about religious hate speech and the degradation of our culture. The only thing that those who operate the Roger Smith Hotel understand is when they get hit in the pocket book. So thats exactly where well hit them. The boycott is on. Act 3: The happy ending... Chocolate Jesus Easter Exhibit Cancelled, Hotel "Affirms Dignity" Yeah, our..."dignity"! That's the ticket! In response to the public outcry over the life-sized 6-foot chocolate Jesus, naked and hanging on a cross, during the Catholic Lent week leading up to Easter, the Roger Smith Hotel has decided to cancel the exhibit. Damn! Get Chocolate Jesus outta here! Bring him to a homeless shelter or sumthin! According to a press release from the hotel, James Knowles, the president of the Roger Smith Hotel, said the feelings of Catholics and Christians, who announced via the Catholic League their intentions to boycott the exhibit -- and the subsequent news media wall-to-wall coverage of the outraged citizens protesting the idea of a naked figure of Jesus in chocolate -- were "crystal clear". Knowles said they decided to "affirm the dignity and responsibility of the Hotel" by cancelling the controversial exhibit. Wow, we never knew this would happen... Posted by: tu3031 2007-03-30 |
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