To those in charge at ArtReview.com:

We the undersigned, including members of the artreview community, subscribers to the magazine and users of the website, in response to your community announcement of the 6th of September 2011 object to the censorship of our art dictated by your ISP:

A message to all members of artreview.com

Dear artreview.com community,
 
ArtReview has recently received several complaints about content on artreview.com from our website platform provider. The complaints concern nudity and related content on members’ pages that breach conditions set by the platform provider. They have been accompanied by demands that we remove relevant content immediately; failure to do so could result in the website being taken offline. As we investigate these complaints over the next several days, we will likely be removing some content from the website, including from members’ pages. We thank you for your understanding. We will get back to you once we have looked into the situation in more detail.

We feel that this is yet another example of creative expression suppressed by the rules and regulations of corporate institutions and does not reflect or demonstrate understanding of the long traditions, histories and well established thematic and theoretic concerns of art.  Nudity in art has, is and will continue to be a subject matter of significant importance which reflects many of the concerns of the human condition.  We feel that it is poor form that you, a well established contemporary art magazine who itself has supported cutting edge and sometimes controversial art are allowing your provider to dictate what is 'acceptable' art and surprised that you have not considered how this issue might be dealt with as your online community grew. 

We request that you consider changing your ISP to a more art community friendly provider rather than censor and possibly stunt what is a blossoming community.   We hope that you will defend artists' rights to choose their modes of expression and that you will protect your constituency.

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