sylvanian families terrorised by isis

[southeastastra]

\link{http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/sep/26/sylvanian-families-isis-freedom-of-expression-exhibition\here} have to say i find it bizarre they were banned from the passion of freedom exhibition.

I had never heard of the passion of freedom exhibition so I clicked the link in the guardian article. Does the irony escape them that they have asked for work defining what freedom is, how easy is it to lose and how hard is it to get back and then refused to display the work that the artist feels answers these questions.

Too much pussy footing around the people who threaten our freedom of expression and not enough defending of our right to free speech by both the organisers and the police.

I like it - it says more to me than Tracy Emin's bed or a pickled sheep!

This is a really really disappointing decision on the part of the police. Firstly, I fail to see how the work is in any way controversial. Does anyone genuinely contend that ISIS and its twisted ideas are not a threat? Secondly, if anyone is stupid enough to oppose the artwork's message, then presumably the police should be happy to have flushed them out. £36k to lock up a few more twisted individuals isn't that much IMO, especially when compared to amounts spent elsewhere on policing and security.

fourmummy, I appreciate your point but not sure I agree entirely. I live in Egypt and am sick to death of hearing about how we are the "mother of all civilisation", "the oldest and strongest state in the world" and "the world's best soldiers", not to mention natural geniuses, while infrastructure and governance merrily crumbles around us. There is a lot of racism here too, especially against African and Gulf peoples, because they just aren't as enlightened and cultures as us, see. I suppose here at least there is no pretence of equality.

I was fully prepared to dislike it, reading your post, and looked at the pictures with negative preconceptions.

However, I like the work as well. It's funny and ironic. I don't think ISIS would have much of a problem with it tbh. In my view the work is more critical taking the micky of the perceived 'oh so idyllic' life of the Western victims, which is under threat by the mean men in black clothes.

I am not trying to minimise the actions of IS obviously, they are abhorrent and inhumane but the simplistic black and white media portrayal of ISIS as the main threat to Western society is ridiculous, there are many more serious threats, such as Global warming for example.

Good stuff, I didn't think Sylvanians could be political, but there you go.

and yes, silly to cancel this exhibit, but the artist will get more PR from this action than if it had just been sitting at the show.

I imagine that if the artist displayed her work elsewhere then lots of people would come to see it. Having your work "banned" is the best thing that could happen an artist.

I like the work. I think it makes a good point. I can't see any normal Muslims bring upset by it either. Islamic state want to kill us anyway so an art exhibition won't make much difference.