Piss Christ
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Artist: Andres Serrano
Year: 1997
Date of Action: October 12, 1997
Region: Australia
Location: Victoria, Australia
Subject: Religion
Medium: Photography
Confronting Bodies: John Allen Haywood, Two unnamed teenagers, Dr. Timothy Potts
Description of Artwork: The photograph is a part of a series exploring fluids, such as blood, milk, urine and semen. The photo itself is an image of a plastic crucifix inside a jar of yellow liquid, which the artist said to be his own urine.
The Incident: The National Gallery of Victoria planned to exhibit a print of the photograph as a part of an exhibition. On the first day of its opening weekend, the photograph was kicked by a 51-year-old man named John Allen Haywood, who went on to receive one month of jail time. His attack only partially damaged the frame, however, and the exhibition was set to continue when the next day, two teenagers, aged 16 and 18, staged one attack on a photo of a Ku Klux Klan member on an opposite wall, which sufficiently distracted the guards while the other destroyed the piece.
Results of Incident: Shortly afterward, the exhibit was shut down by the museum art director Dr. Timothy Potts, who cited "the safety of the gallery and its staff."
Source:
• http://www.artcrimes.net/piss-christ
Artist: Andres Serrano
Year: 2011
Date of Action: April 17, 2011
Region: Europe
Location: Avignon, France
Subject: Religion
Medium: Photography
Confronting Bodies: An Unnamed Vandal
Description of Artwork: The photograph is a part of a series exploring fluids, such as blood, milk, urine and semen. The photo itself is an image of a plastic crucifix inside a jar of yellow liquid, which the artist said to be his own urine.
The Incident: An Avignon museum sought to display a print of the photograph as a part of an exhibition called "I Believe in Miracles." After an 800-person protest earlier that day by conservative Christians outside of the museum, an assailant attacked the photograph with a hammer and either a pick-axe or a screwdriver, effectively destroying the work.
Results of Incident: The museum continued the exhibition and displayed the damaged work.