An Iconoclast is someone who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas or institutions. Mother Mary, the Holy Virgin, is in that sense a metaphor for the Westeren ideology. This work is not only an attack on the Christian Church, it’s symbolic attack on the West. On the vernisage of the group show ‘That’s All Folks’ (2010 / Bruges / Belgium / artists: Art and Language, Carlos Aires, John Isaacs, ) the visitors could throw stones to the plaster statues of the Holy Virgin. ‘Iconoclasm’ is now on view on the Mediations Biennale in Poznan, Poland.
The visitors who threw stones are unaware about the manipulation of the artist. It’s easy to play with the consciousness of the audience on an opening night of an exhibition. They just want to be a part of it and embody the artwork. A personification, as they have made it themselves. This is also the reason why some people want to pay so much money for an art work and how capitalism works. The same mechanisms of manipulation in ‘Iconoclasm’ is to be found in all religions.
Article in ‘Flash Art’: “The most intriguing highlights of the program include a show by Belgian artist Peter Puype” http://www.flashartonline.com/2016/10/mediations-biennale-poznan/
Article in S Z U M: “Podejście kuratorów biennale do polityczności najlepiej oddaje instalacja Iconoclasm Petera Puype. Bazująca na prostej logice „daj się skusić i rozbij Maryjkę” religijna strzelnica operowała wymownym, ale łopatologicznym przekazem.” http://magazynszum.pl/krytyka/poznanski-standard-5-mediations-biennale-fundamental
PETER PUYPE 