“They are not children. This painting deals with how sexuality is used as a weapon of war, as a crime against humanity“, defends the artist Miriam Cahn. VINCENZO PINTO
A painting by Miriam Cahn representing a person with tied hands, forced to perform oral sex, is accused of advocating child pornography by the RN.
The work fuck abstraction by Miriam Cahn child pornography? “It is neither for a minister nor for a parliamentarian to qualify a criminal offence”, defended the Minister of Culture on Tuesday.
Exhibited since February 17 at the Palais de Tokyo, this work by the Swiss artist represents a person with their hands tied, forced to perform oral sex. For some, like the Juristes pour l’Enfance association, it is a child. The painting is the subject of an online petition calling for its removal, which has so far garnered some 8,500 signatures.
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“They are not children. This painting deals with how sexuality is used as a weapon of war, as a crime against humanity“, defended the artist quoted in a press release from the Parisian museum.
Asked by RN MP Caroline Parmentier, Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak called for not everything “to mix together“. “The fight for the protection of children and against all forms of violence, we all lead it collectively in government alongside my colleague Charlotte Caubel, every day.“, did she say.
“You went to do your publicity stunt and film this painting, but did you see the entire exhibition? Have you spoken with the mediators? Did you read the explanations? Because you can’t take a work out of its context“, she continued, quoting the words of the artist herself.
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“Yes, art can shock, can question, can sometimes arouse discomfort, even disgust. Art is not consensual. And freedom of expression and creation is guaranteed by law». And to add that it is not “neither a minister nor a parliamentarian to qualify a criminal offence. This is the role of justice”.
The Observatory of Creative Freedom has, for its part, published a press release supporting the artist. “Artists must be able to denounce these crimes in complete freedom. As said George Sand about literature, “The writer is only a mirror which reflects, a machine which transfers, and which has nothing to be forgiven if its imprints are exact, if its reflection is faithful”. The same is true for painting, and this debate which has already spanned two centuries has always concluded with the discredit of the censors.On March 7, the Palais de Tokyo said it was “aware” that the artist’s artistic approach can “generate misunderstandings” and announced that it would strengthen its mediation system. Warnings accompany the exhibition to warn the public.