Swedish artist Dan Park attacked in Copenhagen
Malmö-based street artist Dan Park was assaulted by six 'anti-fascists' in Copenhagen on New Year's Day.
Controversial Swedish street artist Dan Park was attacked in Copenhagen on January 1st, the provocateur wrote Sunday on Facebook.
“The New Year sure started well, was attacked of six masked ‘anti-fascists’ on Jagtvej, Nørrebro in Copenhagen. Clearly not everyone in Denmark likes my work,” Park wrote.
Copenhagen Police confirmed the attack and said that if it can be proven to be a result of Park’s provocative artwork it could lead to tougher penalties for the attackers.
Speaking to TV2, Park said that he thinks he was targeted for his work.
“I was suddenly attacked with various punches and yelling before they took off. I think it is because of my art. I have been in the media quite a bit,” he told TV2.
Park was the centre of an intense debate on free speech that raged on both sides of the Øresund throughout October.
Nine pieces of artwork that landed Park in a Swedish jail and that were ordered to be destroyed by Swedish authorities were displayed in Copenhagen in a showing organized by the Danish Free Press Society (Trykkefrihedsselskabet). Prior to the showing in a murky Østerbro basement, Park's banned works were also shown at a swank reception in Christiansborg, the Danish parliament building.
The public display of Park’s banned works, which among other things shows three named black men hanging from nooses, was only after previous plans by the radio station Radio24syv and Copenhagen gallery owner Kristian von Hornsleth were cancelled.
Von Hornsleth withdrew from the project after receiving death threats. His gallery was also subjected to vandalism widely believed to be related to the Park exhibition.
Park's post to Facebook:
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Controversial Swedish street artist Dan Park was attacked in Copenhagen on January 1st, the provocateur wrote Sunday on Facebook.
“The New Year sure started well, was attacked of six masked ‘anti-fascists’ on Jagtvej, Nørrebro in Copenhagen. Clearly not everyone in Denmark likes my work,” Park wrote.
Copenhagen Police confirmed the attack and said that if it can be proven to be a result of Park’s provocative artwork it could lead to tougher penalties for the attackers.
Speaking to TV2, Park said that he thinks he was targeted for his work.
“I was suddenly attacked with various punches and yelling before they took off. I think it is because of my art. I have been in the media quite a bit,” he told TV2.
Park was the centre of an intense debate on free speech that raged on both sides of the Øresund throughout October.
Nine pieces of artwork that landed Park in a Swedish jail and that were ordered to be destroyed by Swedish authorities were displayed in Copenhagen in a showing organized by the Danish Free Press Society (Trykkefrihedsselskabet). Prior to the showing in a murky Østerbro basement, Park's banned works were also shown at a swank reception in Christiansborg, the Danish parliament building.
The public display of Park’s banned works, which among other things shows three named black men hanging from nooses, was only after previous plans by the radio station Radio24syv and Copenhagen gallery owner Kristian von Hornsleth were cancelled.
Von Hornsleth withdrew from the project after receiving death threats. His gallery was also subjected to vandalism widely believed to be related to the Park exhibition.
Park's post to Facebook:
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