Because who would think that this sends some kind of weird, creepy message?<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/jmltestblog.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/20170731t1602-0579-cns-canada-oddly.jpg?w=640&h=427\")
<\/p>\n
(CNS\/Reuters)<\/p>\n
The spider, named Kumo, is one of two giant robots created by a street theater company of artists, technicians and performers based in Nantes, France. The company, La Machine, was in Ottawa July 27-30 as part of celebrations marking Canada\u2019s 150th birthday.<\/p>\n
The spectacle of robots, music and other special effects drew tens of thousands to Ottawa\u2019s downtown.<\/p>\n
The show opened July 27 in the evening, with Kumo \u201cwaking up\u201d to organ music from inside the cathedral. As the spider, suspended from cranes, climbed off its perch between the towers, \u201csnow\u201d fell from above as part of the event\u2019s special effects.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t understand how allowing a mechanical spider to stand on the cathedral is anything but disturbing, disappointing and even shameful,\u201d wrote Diane Bartlett on the archbishop\u2019s Facebook wall.<\/p>\n
Others defended the archbishop\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the viewer may find the juxtaposition jarring, I gather it\u2019s supposed to be,\u201d wrote Kris Dmytrenko. \u201cBut sacrilegious? C\u2019mon, give your archbishop a break. This civic engagement with art recalls the Vatican\u2019s Courtyard of the Gentiles project. Culture is a bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n
The decision to participate in the show was motivated by a desire to engage with the wider Ottawa community, said Archbishop Prendergast.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe make use of the city to obtain permits for our events, and they are most cooperative,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Good Friday Way of the Cross lets us have access to public venues (Supreme Court, Parliament Hill, the plaza in front of the National Gallery), and the police offer a security escort.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to be good citizens, good neighbors and cooperative,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo the extent that we did see symbolism, it was that, afterward, Our Lady would continue to reign, something I mentioned in a tweet right after the Thursday performance, as people I respect began to make their objections known.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I think this story is absolutely hilarious. \u00a0It reminds me of Sheriff Carter in Eureka, throwing rocks at the crazed Titan robot and shouting, \u201cAnd that\u2019s for your unnecessarily<\/em> creepy design!\u201d<\/p>\n
As to the whole \u201csacrilege!\u201d shriek, I\u2019m not feeling it. \u00a0Don\u2019t these people remember mystery plays? \u00a0Actual *hellmouths* were routinely built in and and around medieval Churches and cathedrals and demons scampered about pulling souls down to damnation. \u00a0The Church engages culture. \u00a0That\u2019s it\u2019s job, not creating museums for the piously withdrawn.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ottawa Archbishop surprised (!) by negative reaction to robotic spider on cathedral Because who would think that this sends some kind of weird, creepy message? (CNS\/Reuters) The spider, named Kumo, is one of two giant robots created by a street theater company of artists, technicians and performers based in Nantes, France. The company, La Machine, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[938],"class_list":["post-100869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-engaging-culture"],"yoast_head":"\n
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