The Canterbury Museum in New Zealand is officially one of the coolest museums we've ever heard of. The establishment is currently hosting an exhibition called "T-Shirts Unfolding," which "seeks to explore the story of the garment over its 100-year history and the way in which t-shirts have been used as an expression of popular culture." Obviously over the course of 100 years, things might get a little offensive to some groups and individuals, but history has a pretty solid track record of not giving a damn who it offends.
One unnamed woman sought to rectify that issue while at the museum, when she saw the below (NSFW) Cradle of Filth t-shirt. She spray painted the window it was behind black and was immediately asked by Museum Director Anthony Wright to leave.
Wright also commented on the museum hosting the exhibition, saying he sees no reason the shirt should be censored.
"We knew that we couldn't show it without permission. So we applied to the Office of the Chief Censor and I'm pleased to say that we were granted an exemption to show the t-shirt in this exhibition – but within the context of a scholarly look at the history of t-shirts – a well-curated show and with obviously the appropriate warnings."
"I'm sorry it's upset people. We didn't set out to upset people. We certainly have no intention of doing that – but it is part of the story … They've made their decision, given their reasons and we are absolutely sticking to the letter of the law on that."
In other news, this is the only offensive piece of art that has ever been shown in a museum and absolutely deserved to be censored because it offended one person in one specific instance. That's how being a level-headed human being works, right? Good on Wright for saying he and the museum have no intention of taking the exhibit down- art is art.
[via TVNZ]
