Max blogged the other day Frank Rich’s excellent column about the removal of the video “A Fire in My Belly” from a Smithsonian exhibit. The video, created by a grieving David Wojnarowicz after his partner died of AIDS, depicts in one part ants crawling on a crucifix.
Now, Joel Wachs, president of the Andy Warhol Foundation, which put up $100,000 for the exhibit, “Hide/Seek,” at the National Portrait Gallery, says the foundation will not support future Smithsonian exhibits unless “Fire in My Belly” is restored to the show. The $100,000 it provided for the show was part of a $375,000 donation the foundation gave the Smithsonian.
With the new conservatism washing over D.C, expect to see a huge jump in Thomas Kinkade exhibits at publicly funded galleries.