Brazilian artist in the frame assassinating the Pope, the Queen and George Bush - Telegraph

Quote:

The charcoal drawings by Gil Vicente became a focus of controversy when they went on display at the opening of the Sao Paulo Art Biennial on Saturday. The former US President George W Bush is shown kneeling on the ground with his wrists bound behind him as Vicente pushes a pistol into his temple. The Queen faces the onlooker with her hands clasped before her, apparently unaware that the artist is behind her pointing a gun at her back. Pope Benedict XVI confronts the assassin with his hands raised, while the Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula de Solva is trussed like a joint of meat with a butcher’s knife at his throat. Other world leaders depicted in the violent series include the former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The series, called Inimigos (Enemies), is meant to highlight alleged crimes for which the leaders have been directly or indirectly responsible by imagining that they are being made to pay the price. "Because they kill so many other people, it would be a favour to kill them, understand? Why don't people in power and in the elite die?" he said. The Brazilian bar association has demanded that the images be removed from the exhibition, alleging that they encourage violent crime. “Even though a work of art freely expresses the creativity of its maker, without limits, there have to limits to exhibiting it publicly,” a spokesman said. But the artist has responded furiously to suggestions that his work should be censored. “They claim it justifies crime. Stealing public money is not a crime? The reports on TV aren't trying to justify crimes? Only my work is justification of crime?" he said. But the organisers of the Biennial defended Vicente’s right to exhibit his work. They said in a statement: "A fundamental quality of our institution is curatorial independence and freedom of expression. The works exhibited to do not reflect the opinion of the curators nor of the Biennial Foundation." The works, hanging in a prominent position in the Biennial exhibition in a hall in Sao Paulo's main Ibirapuera Park, are valued collectively at $260,000 (£165,000). They are not available individually.

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Borderline. Free speech does not cover blatant appeal to violence... And, whether this artist likes it or not, his would-be "victims" are the representant of their institutions. As such, it is not clear that the "crimes" they committed are theirs rather than their institutions'. Good luck on killing the US gvt, the UN, the Catholic Church and the British monarchy...

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But who's really going to think "Well hey, I just came to have a walk in the park and look at some pictures, but now you mention it I think I'll go and shoot the Pope"?

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But who's really going to think "Well hey, I just came to have a walk in the park and [eat some Sauerkraut and sausages], but now you mention it, I think I'll go and shoot [Jewish people]"?

People are influenced by propaganda...

As I said, it's borderline. I guess, if I was forced to make a call, I'd let it go because, anyhow, those guys are well-protected and that tend to be enough of a deterrent even on lunatics. But it does start to look like a call for violence, which is illegal. What if it had been gays, blacks or women represented instead of political figures?

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Well you already know from previous posts that I'd stand up for his right to call for violence against any of those groups too...

If you integrate the idea that propaganda influences people into your legal system then you're effectively denying them their free will - "We get to decide what you can and can't see because you're not capable of resisting its influence."

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France has already integrated that into its system by making anti-semitism speeches/talk illegal. Other groups benefit from similar protection from hate-speech.

I acknowledge that it is an infringement of free speech and that the US is freer in that respect and I always have had some respect for their courageous and principled stand - OTOH, I cannot say that the French situation lead to much problems either, afaik...

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Yes, you're right. It doesn't always lead to totalitarian dictatorship, but I still prefer the US version. It's neater and more intellectually satisfying.

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That, it is.

Although, even there, they don't like it when you threaten and/or even just wish ill to their president... So even in the US, free speech is not absolute either.

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