by Valerie Stupnikova
Welcome to "...Is that Art? Friday" week 7!
Tough times require a positive attitude, do you agree?
Today, I would like to introduce you London-based artist who made a project on the ways to tackle the Coronavirus crisis. People were posting various masks as alternatives to the classic ones on social media. Siedentopf got inspired and made up a photographic project on this topic. He used different objects: bottles, shoes, fruits and vegetables, and even underwear. This way he wanted to propose a solution on how to protect oneself from the virus by using something different than a mask. Of course, his art should not be taken seriously. It is better to follow the WHO instructions and be careful.
This project seems to be provocative; it has offended some people, especially the Chinese. They were among the people who posted alternative masks as there was a shortage of surgical ones. Because they were desperate with protecting themselves, they were posting photos with other objects than ordinary masks to bring to notice the problem they have.
Many people believe that it was easy for Siedentopf to make fun of this situation as he lived in a safe area, in Great Britain. Thus, some reckon his project inappropriate and even racist. For this, he had to apologize, stating that he did not have any intention to offend anyone. This project was created to make people think outside of the box. Nevertheless, he does not agree that his project is racist, “Since the virus quickly spread globally, the masks were inspired by photos I came across from all over the world, ranging from young Instagrammers to DIY Pinterest boards with mask inspiration and, my personal favorite, a US man who was wearing a complete tent inside a plane to protect himself.” He added that this project is to draw attention to the paranoia around the coronavirus outbreak. It is not the first time Siedentopf is being criticized, he is known for his ironic projects.
How to decide what is appropriate and what is not? Is art that makes fun of something controversial morally justified? And who decides on this matter? What Siedentopf does may be called satire art. It is aimed at drawing attention to some crucial societal problems. Satire art tends to be criticized as its goal is not to make people laugh but rather to think over the issue it covers. As satire art combined humor and anger, some may find it disturbing.
Satirical works are being produced from Ancient times, though the terms parody and cynicism were used instead. It was developing into different forms, and, now, satire is used basically as a caricature. Obviously, it is used in contemporary art, and Siedentopf is one of the examples.
What is satire art for you? Do you accept this form of art? Should it be censored or not?
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Footnotes
http://maxsiedentopf.com/how-to-survive-a-deadly-global-virus/
https://www.dezeen.com/2020/02/19/max-siedentopf-apology-coronavirus-masks/
http://www.artandpopularculture.com/Satirist
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The Writer - Valerie Stupnikova
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valeriastupnikova/
Email: valeriestupnikova@gmail.com
Portfolio: https://linktr.ee/valeriastupnikova