St Peter might blush at these Pearly Gates

I think this article doesn't really explain the Pearly Gates show very well. Anyone care to discuss more in the comments below.

The Straits Times
www.straitstimes.comPublished on Jan 16, 2011

photo by kelvin lim.
St Peter might blush at these Pearly Gates

By Jermyn Chow

One bare-and-dare 'work' here, billed as serious art, has at least raised eyebrows. But another, a cheeky art fair featuring genitalia, seems more flaccid.

The first saw self-styled 'naked artist' T. Venkanna sitting nude at the inaugural Art Stage show at Marina Bay Sands Exhibition and Convention Centre. The four-day show ends today.
Mr Venkanna, from Hyderabad in India, drew flak for his act. He stopped his performance after two days.

Meanwhile, at the Post-Museum in Little India, a tongue-in-cheek exhibition dubbed The Pearly
Gates quietly opened on Jan 7.

Its theme: the male and female genitalia. There are, for example, 12 phallic sculptures, a video pop art installation with a soundtrack featuring sexual acts and voices uttering genitalia-laced words.

Danish artist Jes Brinch, one of the four artists involved in the Pearly Gates exhibition, said it is an 'innocent and humoristic look' at sexuality. Two of the artists are young Singaporeans.
Mr Brinch, a 44-year-old father of two, said: 'We should not be too judgmental and take sexuality so seriously... just have fun with it.'

Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts graduate Marc Gabriel Loh, one of the Singaporeans involved in the event, said the art pieces are not provocative.

The 22-year-old said: 'We wanted to explore sexual liberation which is quite common in countries like Denmark.'

But while the Art Stage show saw more than 10,000 visitors on Thursday alone, the one in Little India has had only about 400 visitors so far. It also ends today.
Ms Rachel Koh, an editor at local publishing firm Page One, said she did not find the phallic art pieces offensive.

'There is a lot of tension when people talk about sex.
'But this exhibition kind of released all the tension and inhibitions many of us have... it's all for laughs,' said the 22-year-old who has attended four art exhibitions in the last six months.

Though the event is open to the public, signs at the front door warn that there is explicit content. The glass door is also covered up with white paper.
Commercial art galleries do not need to apply for licences, said the Media Development Authority, the media industry's regulator.

Humorous take on sexuality
'There is a lot of tension when people talk about sex. But this exhibition kind of released all the tension and inhibitions many of us have... it's all for laughs.'

Ms Rachel Koh, an editor at local publishing firm Page One, on the exhibition, whose theme is the male and female genitalia. There is even a video pop art installation with a soundtrack featuring sexual acts and voices uttering genitalia-laced words.