A. Zaitsev about blasphemy and freedom of creativity

On January 31, an article by A. Zaitsev entitled “Beware, Artists” was published on the “New Politics” website. The article is devoted to the topic of blasphemy in art (using the example of the Sakharov Center projects , the Sots Art exhibition , etc.). The author shows that a very pressing problem of modern society is the blurring of ideas about blasphemy, insult to religious feelings and “immorality” in art.

The article clearly draws the line between immorality and blasphemy. The author notes that this difference is clear to almost everyone, but some nuances regarding the feelings of believers (for example, the use of religious symbols in an inappropriate context) may not be understood by many.

Some artists deliberately try to provoke believers for the purpose of self-promotion, the article says, and believers quite often succumb to such provocations, thereby achieving the opposite effect - interest in the events that they publicly condemn only increases.

The author notes the existence of “double standards” in society, and not only Russian. For example, a caricature competition on the Holocaust theme announced by the Iranian President caused outrage among the world community. But then, A. Zaitsev believes, the publication of cartoons depicting Christ or the Prophet Muhammad should not be allowed, “since either there are no taboos or sacred symbols in society, or prohibitions work in both directions, and neither the victims of the Holocaust nor believers can be insulted.”

The author offers the following solution to the problem. He points out two fundamental positions: 1) we are not talking about believers, denominations or authorities prohibiting any work or public action for ideological reasons; 2) believers should be given the right to publicly evaluate certain works and sue in that case case if something offended them, and the court decision can be positive or negative.

The article emphasizes that in all disputes about blasphemy and the boundaries of what is permissible in art, a government official or clergy should not act as an arbiter: “The decision should remain with the curators of the exhibition, the theater group, the writer and the publisher, and one can challenge certain artistic acts only in court. On the other hand, both artists and believers must be ready for an open, honest dialogue, with respect for the position of the other side. Only in this case, “caricature scandals” will remain a fact of the past and the bulldozer will not drive through churches or mosques. not by works of art."

Sources

• A. Zaitsev Be careful, artists // New politics. 2008. January 31.