Anatomy of Shock: What Can We Learn from the Virgin-Whore Church?

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterScientificpeer-review

Abstract

The article looks closely at an event regarding excessive reactions to sexually explicit and sexually offensive images from various websites which Ulla Karttunen’s work, Virgin-Whore Church (2008), used in an installation in an attempt to tear open established taboos or moral codes and expose the ‘pornographication of the mainstream.’ The artwork caused a national sensation in Finland and was shut down. The essay explores specific legal, moral, and institutional details of this event as a singular moment and places it more broadly in the context of excessive contemporary art, feminist art history, ‘shock art,’ and other art shown in Finland. In terms of education, Vänskä looks at media through critical perspective and asks what is the responsibility of an artist in an era of social media, in terms of possibilities and limitations.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationArt, Excess, and Education
Subtitle of host publicationHistorical and Discursive Contexts
EditorsKevin Tavin, Mira Kallio-Tavin, Max Ryynänen
Place of PublicationCham
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
Chapter10
Pages161-182
Number of pages22
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-030-21828-7
ISBN (Print)978-3-030-21827-0
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019
MoE publication typeA3 Book section, Chapters in research books

Publication series

NamePalgrave Studies in Educational Futures

Keywords

  • art
  • excess
  • pornography
  • social media
  • shock
  • Ulla Karrttunen
  • Virgin Whore Church

Field of art

  • Contemporary art

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