Swedish artist has 'racist' show cancelled
The Local Sweden - [email protected]
Published: 29 Sep, 2014 CET.
Updated: Mon 29 Sep 2014 11:55 CET
Plans for works by controversial Swedish artist Dan Park to be shown in a secret location in Copenhagen have been shelved by the radio station that was behind the project.
Radio24syv had already put together a display of more than 30 of Park's works and was planning to open the doors of the mystery gallery to the public on Tuesday. Dan Park was convicted by a court in Malmö in August on charges of inciting racial agitation and defamation. He shot to infamy in 2011 when he created and distributed posters with a picture of Jallow Momodou of the National Afro-Swedish Association superimposed on the image of a naked man in chains. The art obtained by the radio station this month included a picture called Hang-on Afrobians, which depicts three Swedish residents with African backgrounds portrayed with nooses around their necks. Another showed a Catholic bishop receiving fellatio from a young boy and Jesus having sex with Muhammad. The publically-funded radio station was planning to unveil them on Tuesday, arguing that Denmark should allow them to be shown under laws on freedom of expression and freedom of speech. The station’s plans were the result of extensive debate in Denmark about Park’s conviction in Sweden. The two nations typically have very different approaches to the topic of the freedom of speech, with Sweden tending to be less open to displaying highly controversial or sensitive works. In August, a Danish art project that was designed to highlight diversity was banned from a Swedish festival for being racist. Dan Park is currently serving a six-month jail sentence for his art. He was also forced to pay a total of 60,000 Swedish kronor ($8,700) in damages to four people depicted in his pictures.
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Radio24syv had already put together a display of more than 30 of Park's works and was planning to open the doors of the mystery gallery to the public on Tuesday.
Dan Park was convicted by a court in Malmö in August on charges of inciting racial agitation and defamation.
He shot to infamy in 2011 when he created and distributed posters with a picture of Jallow Momodou of the National Afro-Swedish Association superimposed on the image of a naked man in chains.
The art obtained by the radio station this month included a picture called Hang-on Afrobians, which depicts three Swedish residents with African backgrounds portrayed with nooses around their necks. Another showed a Catholic bishop receiving fellatio from a young boy and Jesus having sex with Muhammad.
The publically-funded radio station was planning to unveil them on Tuesday, arguing that Denmark should allow them to be shown under laws on freedom of expression and freedom of speech.
The station’s plans were the result of extensive debate in Denmark about Park’s conviction in Sweden.
The two nations typically have very different approaches to the topic of the freedom of speech, with Sweden tending to be less open to displaying highly controversial or sensitive works.
In August, a Danish art project that was designed to highlight diversity was banned from a Swedish festival for being racist.
Dan Park is currently serving a six-month jail sentence for his art. He was also forced to pay a total of 60,000 Swedish kronor ($8,700) in damages to four people depicted in his pictures.
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