Posté le Vendredi 6 octobre 2006 par lagrette
A new case of self-censorship, this time in London, draws a sharp reaction from Le Monde. The Art World is not taking these acts lightly anymore, and we are happy to translate this article which shows that some journalist have recovered some backbone.
Artistic self-censorship made a new victim. The Whitechapel Art Gallery, one of the main centres for the art in London, removed a dozen drawings from a Hans Bellmer (1902-1975) exhibit. The gallery’s director took this decision because she thought that some of the painter’s erotic works (he was major figure of the Surrealism Movement) could offend the Muslim population of this working class neighborhood. Shortly after the cancellation of Mozart’s Idomeneo in Berlin, this illustrates the growing fears of program planners. Fearing possible reactions, they do not hesitate to anticipate the interventions of religious representatives. In London, this decision was as sudden as it was unexpected. The exhibition, put together by the Centre Pompidou, had been introduced in Paris in the Spring, then in Munich. After its arrival in London, the exhibit curator, Agnès de la Beaumelle, noted that the wall space for hanging the art was insufficient. She therefore undertook a first sorting. » This happens with traveling exhibits « , she explains.
But on September 19th, on the eve of the private opening, the head of the establishment, Iwona Blazwick, took a measure, » really serious » this time, said Mrs de la Beaumelle. » On her own authority and in spite of my protests, she took down a dozen of the paintings. She thought they were « sulphurous » and clearly mentionned, besides antipedophilia leagues, the fact that it would have been dangerous to display them in Whitechapel, given that the neighborhood is home to many Muslims. » However the pictures were clearly featured in the exhibit’s catalogue. Therefore the director could not have been surprised. Nobody had given her the slightest warning, no threat had been uttered. The curator feels that it was « just a case of self-censorship. »
Two of the collectors who had lent the artwork have already reacted. The Parisian galery owner Natalie Seroussi, who discovered the facts during the private showing, thinks that it is » unacceptable that a community, whichtever it is, has censorship power over the head of a museum director and its curator « . She denounces this decision as « unworthy of a democratic society (…) unworthy of an atist like Bellmer, whose work is explicitely erotic « . In the same way, Marcel Fleiss, manager of the Gallery 1900-2000, reacted with anger toward the museum. Five of the twelve works of art that he had loanded were removed. » If these works are not returned to the exhibit « , he says, he will withdraw all of his loans. Contacted by Le Monde, the direction of Whitechapel said that the decision was only taken because of the lack of space.
Because this removal is not directly related to religious presentation, the polemics reach a new level, just a week after the self-censorship of Idomeneo, in Germany. Calling on the “principle of precaution”, the direction of the Deutsche Oper, one of three lyric stages in Berlin, decide, on September 25th to cancel the opera of Mozart for » the security of the public and the employees of the opera » (Le Monde of September 28th). In the final scene of this freely adapted Idomeneo, the king of Crete throws out the heads of Poseidon, Jesus, Buddha and Mahomet. No threat had been made. The regional police had just warned the opera against possible offended Muslims’ reactions.
On Tuesday, October 3rd, German chancellor Angela Merkel denounced the » useless mental blockages in the field of the freedom of speech « . » It’s as if they hoisted the white flag before any threat even happened. » The head of Deutsche Oper, Kirsten Harms, who said that she was ready to put on the opera if security was ensured, nevertheless received the support of bishop Wolfgang Huber, head of the German Evangelical Church.
Debate is all the more sensitive in Germany that several incidents of the same nature have happened since the caricatures of Mahomet, one year ago. In February, during the carnival season , organizers asked the participants not to display satires of Islam. In 2004, for instance, a float of in Düsseldorf had represented an ayatollah wedged in a huge hamburger called « Burger Mollah from McBush « . » We do not want want to endanger anybody « , Peter König , the Düsseldorf carnival president, said as an excuse.
During the same period, still in Düsseldorf, a sculpture representing a mosque with two minarets in the form of missiles was withdrawn from an exhibit at the Academy of arts. Called » Agression », this work of art had caused a peaceful demonstration of 2 000 Muslims. The sculptor herself, a Swiss art student, Flower Boecklin, had asked for the removal. The manager of the Academy, Peter Lynen, had defended the sculpture, saying that « a young artist must be able to use a topic of such actuality « .
Spain has also been touched by this epidemic of self-censorship. Numerous villages celebrate every year the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula (finished on 1492) with pretend battles between « Moors » and « Christians », or by costumed parades. Near Valence, the festivities customarily end by the destruction of a huge figurine which supposedly represents Mahomet.
In Beneixama (1 800 inhabitants), until now they exploded the head of the prophet with fireworks. On September 15th, the city abandoned this finale. Unwilling to expand on the subject, the mayor, Antonio Valdes, pointed out that his team had wanted to avoid » hurting the feelings of some people « . In February, another village, Bocairent, had made the same decision. For the most part, other towns had stopped these practices, at the request of the Church, after Vatican II. This was forty years ago.
Philippe Dagen et Nathaniel Herzberg, avec Cécile Chambraud (à Madrid) et Antoine Jacob (à Berlin)
© exclusive translation Lagrette for eXc
