9/11 art takes the Mickey

Jock Mooney's controversial sculpture
13 April 2012

A sculpture which features Mickey Mouse flying an aeroplane into the Twin Towers was unveiled today.

The work will form part of the Royal Scottish Academy Student Exhibition in Edinburgh, which opens its doors to the public tomorrow.

Another exhibit at the show features a short film of a poisoned mouse dying.
The exhibition features around 280 artworks by final year and postgraduate students from Scotland's art and architectural schools.

The Twin Towers exhibit, entitled Mickey's Taliban Adventures, was made by Alan Bennie of the Edinburgh College of Art and shows Disney's famous mouse flying a toy plane into foam-like recreations of the World Trade Centre.

The buildings all have eyes to give them a surprised expression, while one of the towers has flames made of felt shooting out of it.

Colin Greenslade, the academy's exhibitions co-ordinator, today defended the work.

He said: "I don't think it's a particularly shocking piece.

"The Twin Towers have become an icon and everyone has their own feelings about it, whether they knew people who were involved or can just remember where they were when it happened.

"This is about making you think."

Animal rights activists have complained about Jock Mooney's exhibit, which features a short film of a poisoned mouse in the final moments of its life.

The uproar has forced the artist to issue a statement which is on display alongside the exhibit.

In it, Mr Mooney says the mouse had already been poisoned when he found it outside his flat and that his film aimed to publicise the effects of the methods used to get rid of rodents.

He said: "I am fully aware that rodent friendly methods of removal exist. Are there methods used by the general public? I think not.

"It is this dichotomy that makes this film, in my view, a powerful and successful exhibit."

The exhibition runs until March 1 and £9,000 of cash awards will be handed out to artists responsible for the work judged to be the best.

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