New US embassy in Islamabad to get $400,000 camel sculpture

[pak-marine]

“This artist’s product is uniquely qualified. Public art which will be presented in the new embassy should reflect the values of a predominantly Islamic country.”

lol .. so Al Bakistan is really happening

 

[Jaanbaz]

Awesome avatar, dude!

Thank you.

 

[janon]

Answer: Camels & Arabs/and or Arab Land are NOT 'synonymous'! Camels are a great means of Logistics of sorts....
Btw, Australia does lots of Camel Husbandry!

Not synonymous, but they are often associated with that culture, rightly or wrongly. However, that is irrelevant, there is something else you ought to be worried about in their justification. This:

Officials explained the decision to purchase such an expensive art piece for the embassy through a four-page document by saying: “This artist’s product is uniquely qualified. Public art which will be presented in the new embassy should reflect the values of a predominantly Islamic country.”

They are clearly associating camels with islam or muslims, while the fact is that camels are used by hindus and christians an others, in non islamic countries as well, and that not all islamic countries have camels. Do Malaysian or Indonesian muslims use camels? Are most camels in Rajastan or australia used by muslims?

Isn't it offensive that they associate camels and islam, thereby insinuating that islam is mostly confined to arab or desert dwelling places?

 

[VCheng]

Isn't it offensive that they associate camels and islam, thereby insinuating that islam is mostly confined to arab or desert dwelling places?

The camel here is a metaphor for a difficult task being contemplated. The sculpture has nothing to do with Islam as you claim.

 

[janon]

The camel here is a metaphor for a difficult task being contemplated. The sculpture has nothing to do with Islam as you claim.

Read the article, I quoted directly from the OP.

 

[VCheng]

Read the article, I quoted directly from the OP.

Where? Can you please point it out because the first post doesn't say anything like that:

==========================

"The US State Department is planning to spend $400,000 in taxpayer funds to buy a sculpture for the new American embassy being built in Islamabad, according to Buzzfeed.com.

The sculpture titled “Camel Contemplating Needle” is the work of American contemporary artist John Baldessari and it depicts a life-sized white camel made of fiberglass staring at an over-sized threading needle.

Officials explained the decision to purchase such an expensive art piece for the embassy through a four-page document by saying: “This artist’s product is uniquely qualified. Public art which will be presented in the new embassy should reflect the values of a predominantly Islamic country.”

In a statement, State Department press spokesperson Christine Foushee said the proposed purchase comes from the department’s “Office of Art in Embassies.” In new construction projects, she said, a small part of the total funds, about 0.5%, is spent on art purchases.

Steven Beyer of Beyer Projects, the art dealer for the project, said the government reached out. “They approached us,” he said. “We were, of course, quite surprised.”

The $400,000 price tag “is actually a very a reduced price for this sculpture,” he said. “There is an art market that makes these prices, and this is one of the most prominent American artists.”

Another copy of “Camel Contemplating a Needle” is on display at Hall Wines in Napa Valley, California."

===================================

And not even in the Buzzfeed story:


Exclusive: U.S. Taxpayers To Spend $400,000 For A Camel Sculpture In Pakistan

The State Department is planning to spend $400,000 in taxpayer funds to buy a sculpture for the new American embassy being built in Islamabad, Pakistan, according to contracting records.

The work, by noted American artist John Baldessari, depicts a life-size white camel made of fiberglass staring in puzzlement at the eye of an oversize shiny needle — a not-so-subtle play on the New Testament phrase about the difficulty the wealthy have in entering the kingdom of heaven.

Officials explained the decision to purchase the piece of art, titled “Camel Contemplating Needle,” in a four-page document justifying a “sole source” procurement. “This artist’s product is uniquely qualified,” the document explains. “Public art which will be presented in the new embassy should reflect the values of a predominantly Islamist country,” it says. (Like the Bible, the Qur’an uses the metaphor of a camel passing through the eye of a needle.)

To emphasize Baldassari’s fame, the contracting officials pulled a section from Wikipedia. “John Anthony Baldessari (born June 17, 1931) is an American conceptual artist known for his work featuring found photography and appropriated images.”

In a statement, State Department press spokeswoman Christine Foushee said the proposed purchase comes from the department’s “Office of Art in Embassies.” In new construction projects, she said, a small part of the total funds, about 0.5%, is spent on art purchases.

Steven Beyer of Beyer Projects, the art dealer for the project, said the government reached out. “They approached us,” he said in a phone interview. “We were, of course, quite surprised.”

The $400,000 price tag “is actually a very a reduced price for this sculpture,” he said. “There is an art market that makes these prices, and this is one of the most prominent American artists.”

Another copy of “Camel Contemplating a Needle” is on display at Hall Wines in Napa Valley, Calif., and Beyer said that copy sold for far more then the State Department would pay.

He points out that while some Americans may find it frivolous for the government to pay for art, others will find it important. “It depends on what part of the public you are in,” he said. “If you go to the museum and enjoy art and are moved by it, things cost what they cost.”

To put the sculpture’s price tag into a local perspective, the average yearly income in impoverished Pakistan is about $1,250 per year, according to the Agency for International Development.

 

[janon]

Where? Can you please point it out because the first post doesn't say anything like that:

I quoted the relevant statements in the post you replied to. Here it is again:

"Public art which will be presented in the new embassy should reflect the values of a predominantly Islamic country.”

 

[VCheng]

I quoted the relevant statements in the post you replied to. Here it is again:

Because of this statement:

"Like the Bible, the Qur’an uses the metaphor of a camel passing through the eye of a needle."

What you are trying to say is totally incorrect.

 

[Jf Thunder]

It may confuse the TTP.

I could just see it now crazed bomber, wide eyed, dribbling at the mouth running toward the embassy, victory in sight. Then low and behold he sees a beautiful camel, so white, so beautiful. He then forgets his mission and then starts humping the camel enthusiastically.

this word is confusing

 

[janon]

Because of this statement:

"Like the Bible, the Qur’an uses the metaphor of a camel passing through the eye of a needle."

What you are trying to say is totally incorrect.

I wasn't aware that the quran uses the same metaphor. It makes sense then.

Who's statement are you quoting there though?

 

[VCheng]

I wasn't aware that the quran uses the same metaphor. It makes sense then.

Who's statement are you quoting there though?

The Biblical reference came before the Quranic reference chronologically, but they both use it as a metaphor for impossibly difficult tasks.

 

[janon]

this word is confusing

Well as a noun, hump could simply mean the camel's hump. As a verb...

I think the poster unwittingly made a pun there.

 

[Jf Thunder]

Well as a noun, hump could simply mean the camel's hump. As a verb...

I think the poster unwittingly made a pun there.

............. umm ok you did not complete the sentence of the verb, please complete it

 

[janon]

............. umm ok you did not complete the sentence of the verb, please complete it

Nah, I won't take the bait. Pakistanis love to lure us into getting infractions and bans.

Meanwhile in Australia:

 

[SQ8]

I see deep rooted allusions here.. The US embassy is invoking the story of the She-camel.. and taking of it as the US friendship. Just as in that story the camel was meant to be a source of prosperity.. and to be taken care of.. the US friendship is taken as a source of prosperity and to be taken care of. However, if certain people kill her out of hatred for only a few specific US policies.. then the wrath of the giver(United States) will be upon the people(of Pakistan?).