Tate accused of cowardice

Citing the July 7 terrorist bombings in London, Tate Britain pulled a work from a show just prior to the exhibition's opening on Sept. 12 for fear of offending Muslims. The survey of works by John Latham from 1954 to the present was to have included God is Great (#2), 1991, which consists of copies of the Koran, Bible and Talmud that are cut in half and then mounted so that they appear to pass through a large, freestanding pane of glass. Latham told the press that the work is intended to comment on how the major religions come from the same source, and that Tate officials have misunderstood its meaning. Expressing his anger over the decision, the artist requested that the Tate return the work to him; it is part of the museum's permanent collection. The Tate is keeping the work, but did honor Latham's request to include a label in the gallery to explain to visitors why it is not on view.

Museum officials admitted that they did not consult such organizations as the Muslim Council of Britain to gauge potential controversy. The council responded to the flap on the BBC News Web site: "We would have preferred to have been consulted by Tate Britain before the decision was taken to remove John Latham's piece. Sometimes presumptions are incorrectly made about what is unacceptable to Muslims and this can be counter-productive."

Throughout his career, Latham has used books as a sculptural component in larger assemblages or in performance-based conceptual works. On Nov. 8, the Tate is hosting a panel discussion on art, ethics and religion, particularly "art's claim to cultural independence" in a time of increasing political and social anxiety. Latham's exhibition remains on view through Feb. 28, 2006.

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