Den spanske performancekunstneren Abel Azcona imiterer Kristus med tornekronen. Det har vi vennet oss til. Vi reagerer ikke. Men han gjør noe annet: han spiser en Koran. Da slås de indre bremser på. Det har skjedd som internalisering over tid, og det er grunn til å tro at det bunner i en fryktreaksjon. Vi har delt vårt sinn og opererer med to standarder: hver gang vi ser noen drive satire med Bibelen, Jesus eller Gud, så passerer det uten synderlig motstand, mens en kald hånd legger seg over oss når vi ser noen drive gjøn med islam. Dette må være en ny utgave av det Freud kalte «ubehaget i kulturen».

Koran eater receives threats

The Spanish performance artist Abel Azcona has received death threats in the wake of his performance «Eating a Koran». As the title suggests the artist eats pages from the Koran.

Azcona’s performance is part of a project that examines the phenomenon of religious fundamentalism and the need to «feed us fiction, lies and fear». The project consists of an installation, a performance and a video work where Abel Azcona in the course of eight hours eat a copy of the Koran as a criticism of religious radicalism.

«I believe in freedom of expression, provocation and artistic freedom and I will certainly continue to do so today, tomorrow and always,» says Abel Azcona who has been threatened in anonymous letters, e-mails and text messages.

Abel Azcona has received criticism since he began as a performance artist «but they will never change my way of thinking and working, what’s more, the threats clarifies my way, and I know that I am on the right track.»

Abel Azcona said he will continue to use art «as a critical weapon for those who want to feel it and listen to it.»

http://sortsonofon.blogspot.dk/2013/01/koran-eater-receives-threats.html