CRITICAL STUDIES - Transgression and Taste

Xiao Yu, 'Ruan', 1999

 Transgression in art is all about breaking boundaries and pushing ideas of what is socially and morally acceptable, often resulting in shock and outrage from the viewers.

This controversial piece features a preserved foetuses head with rabbits' eyes and a seagull's body, suspended in a jar of liquid. Not only is it quite a horrific image like some kind of Frankenstein's monster hybrid, but the implications of how he sourced the parts and cut them up is what viewers found equally distressing. The work transgresses modern expectations of how the dead should be treated, particularly in a society where the sentience of developing foetuses is always a topic of discussion and moral dilemma to do with abortion and women's rights.

The he jar gives a sense of scientific purpose yet it is unclear what this 'experiment' teaches us; instead of giving information like a factual museum artefact, it encourages thought and reflection which creates more of an emotionally charged reaction from the viewer. I think it's interesting how the artist chose to use real body parts instead of replicating them himself, it emphasises the chaos and shock. The piece feels to me like a representation of the cruelty in scientific testing and experimentation, the ugliness of it all and lack of regard for the subjects own dignity in life and death. 

Cattelan's 'La Nona Ora' is another controversial piece of work, but this time aimed at outraging a specific demographic- Catholics. As a man with such high status and religious importance, it comes as a shock to see a life-like model of the Pope lying on the floor having been struck by a meteor in his golden robes. Even from a non-religious point of view it feels quite wrong, like a deliberate act of disrespect from the artist. I think being hit by a meteor would cause more damage, but to me it still conveys a message of questioning higher powers such as God, vs the forces of nature and the universe. It's also really ironic how protestors tried to stand the Pope up, but in doing so only broke him more as if it wasn't undignified enough already. I feel like there is some sense of humour in the piece despite being very offensive to many, so the shock factor is different from person to person, whereas Xiou Yu's piece isn't so targeted and direct.