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Friends,
fortunately the things have not gone farther, in the one which conc=
erns to the
exhibition " Axis of Evil: the secret history of sin" according to
an email of its curator, the artist Miguel Hernandez de Luna, the exhibit=
ion "is no secret any more, as a headline had previously mentioned. No ones=
going to jail and none of the work has been confiscated.". The exhibition =
has the support of the authorities of the Columbia College and had received=
a massive diffusion in the mediums. In his words: "The show is doing what =
it is supposed to do: question our times."

However, we know that the first that the anti-democratic governments make i=
s attack the liberty of expression repressing the free course of the ideas =
in the mediums of communication and,
above all, in the art and the culture. For it, I think, we have to be atten=
tive to
everything the one which occurs in this sense. Otherwise, we could lose our=
supreme law: liberty.

Fraternally,
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Amigos,
al parecer las cosas no han pasado a mayores, en lo que concierne a =
la exhibicion "El Eje del Mal:la Historia Confidencial del Pecado". De ac=
uerdo a correo electronico de su curador, el

artista Miguel Hernandez de Luna, la muestra "ya ha dejado de confidencia=
l como lo afirmara un titular de prensa previamente difundido. Ninguna pers=
ona fue encarcelado ni se ha confiscado ninguna obra". La muestra cuenta co=
n el apoyo de las autoridades del Columbia College y ha

recibido una difusion masiva en los medios.En sus palabras: "La exposici=
on esta haciendo lo que se supuso que haria: cuestionar nuestro tiemp=
o".

Sin embargo, todos sabemos que lo primero que hacen los gobiernos anti-demo=
craticos es atacar la libertad de expresion reprimiendo el libre curso =
de las ideas en los medios de comunicacion y,

sobre todo, en el arte y la cultura. Por ello, creo, tenemos que estar aten=
tos a todo lo que ocurra en este sentido. De lo contrario, podriamos perd=
er nuestro bien preciado: la libertad.

Fraternalmente,
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Stamp art show not so secret now - April 13, 2005

BY NATASHA KORECKI Federal Courts Reporter

News that the Secret Service visited a Columbia College art exhibit caused =
a spike in gallery visitors Tuesday, drawing about 150 curious art seekers =
to the South Loop gallery. Exhibit curator Michael Hernandez de Luna called=
the public response
overwhelming to "Axis of Evil, the Secret History of Sin," a collection of =
sharply political artwork on fake sheets of stamps.
Two Secret Service agents visited the gallery Thursday just before its publ=
ic opening, responding to a citizen complaint about some of the pieces.
They followed with a phone call asking specifically about the artist who cr=
eated "Patriot Act," a fake sheet of stamps picturing President Bush with a=
gun pointing at him.
'We … respect artistic freedoms'
The artist, Al Brandtner, was not returning phone calls. On Tuesday, the Gl=
ass Curtain Gallery at 1104 S. Wabash bustled with viewers all day, compare=
d with the two dozen or so people who visited Monday before news of the gov=
ernment visit broke.
U.S. Secret Service spokesman Jonathan Cherry said he doesn't know if the i=
nquiry is complete but no artwork has been confiscated.
"We certainly respect artistic freedoms, but the Secret Service also has th=
e responsibility to look into exhibits or statements when
necessary. In this instance we've done just that," Cherry said. "The Secret=
Service hasn't confiscated any artwork or questioned anyone against their =
wishes; we just need to ensure as best we can that this is nothing more tha=
n artwork with a political statement."
Hernandez said the incident has generated a good discussion on the artwork =
and the political statements of the show. The exhibit
features work from 47 artists who are not affiliated with Columbia.
Artists' reaction? 'They love it'
Hernandez said Columbia received some e-mails calling the exhibit unpatriot=
ic or un-American. But most of the responses were positive, he said. Hernan=
dez didn't expect Brandtner to make any public statements. He said a few ar=
tists shunned the media and government attention but nearly all the artists=
embraced it.
"They love it. They knew what they were getting into," Hernandez said.
A mother and son browsing the exhibit Tuesday had different perspectives. L=
ynne Sward, a Virginia artist, called the
exhibit "provocative, clever and humorous."
Her son, Scottt Sward – a Chicago resident who collects stamps – said som=
e pieces "make my stomach upset." The stamp sheets mocking the pope, Cathol=
icism and its issues with abuse by priests were over the top, he said. "I f=
eel funny about it. I find some of it disturbing," he said. "I'm Catholic; =
you don't want to think about that all the time with our
religion."

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-axis13.html
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La exposicion de sellos ya no es mas un secreto - 13 de abril de 2005

Por NATASHA KORECKI, reportera de la Corte Federal

Las noticias de que el Servicio Secreto visito la galeria del Columbia =
College causo expectativas en las visitas el martes y atrajeron a mas d=
e 150 curiosos investigadores de arte en la South Loop Gallery.
El curador de la exhibicion, Michael Hernandez de Luna, menciono como=
abrumadora la respuesta del publico, una coleccion de obras de arte co=
rreo, mayormente politicas en hojas de sellos de correo ficticios.
Dos agentes del Servicio Secreto visitaron la galeria el jueves, momentos=
antes de su inauguracion publica en respuesta a la queja de un ciudada=
no sobre algunas de las obras.
Siguieron con una llamada telefonica preguntando especificamente sobre =
el artista
que creo "Patriota Actua", una hoja de sellos de correos apocrifa en =
donde se ve al presidente
Bush con una arma apuntandole.
'Nosotros…. respetamos las libertades artisticas