[Twosugars]

Originally Posted by Maru

I think the idea of these murals are unoriginal, but that's my problem with most contemporary art. Most are copy cats or just an cheap easy way to grab eyeballs. Sad but true, but innovation and the "core message" is usually lost for the sake of being attention seeking.

The "out of the box" quality is simply the use/replication of those images in "forbidden" areas... except in this case, it's not even out of the box. Urban areas are more likely than other places to be associated with "obscene" and "dirty", something the phallus would be associated with, so actually it's fitting in with the "theme" so to speak.

I'd be maybe more impressed if they managed to integrate these in an some inguity and not just the most offensive way. That's too easy. Like can you imagine if the artist arranged with some Tibetan monks to let you draw some crazy images inside their temple, some totally unexpected artwork that really makes people see&think... basically, something that would be less silly and a whole lot less trite.

While I'm not defending those pieces (don't have a view really) only the cock in NYC was in what you call it dirty area.
Butt plug was in Place Vendome, one of the most prestigious squares in Paris. The copulating duo was meant to be in the courtyard of the Louvre, but the director chickened out at the last moment so it ended up in front of the Pompidou Centre.
The disconcerting detail about the copulators is that it is unclear whether it is man and woman or man and animal.
Re. your idea of placing provocative art in religious spaces, they tend to be very conservative and quite often only public spaces managed by secular authorities like some buildings or squares are willing to take a risk.