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Nagoya museum covers male nudes after ‘obscene’ designation by cops

An earlier exhibit by Ryudai Takano
An earlier exhibit by Ryudai Takano
NAGOYA (TR) – Officials at the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Nagoya on Wednesday modified an exhibit featuring male nudes that law enforcement had deemed “obscene” the day before, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Aug. 15).

On Tuesday, Aichi Prefectural Police indicated that 12 images showing male genitalia by photographer Ryudai Takano in the “Photography Will Be” exhibition were in violation of the law and requested their removal.

“(The images) are considered obscene,” police said.

After representatives from the museum consulted with Takano, it was agreed that the photographs would not be removed, and instead transparent paper panels were affixed over the areas considered illegal.

“Photography Will Be,” which opened on August 1, includes 150 works by nine photographers and artists. Prior to the order by the police, the museum had cordoned off the area for Takano’s works and installed a special guard man.

“It represents the delicacy of the sense of distance between people,” Takano said of his contribution. “It is not a violent representation. So rather than hide intervention on the part of the government we have still made it visible.”

The exhibit ends on September 28.