Targeted Comic Book Artists
An exhibition by a comic book artist group “The Boys” (Momci) at the Old Captaincy Art Gallery in Zemun, where provocative artworks from the troubled 90’s were displayed, was vandalized during an attack on October the 13th by a group of masked men. This act being strongly condemned by the professional public, while the Ministry of Culture and Information of Serbia condemned vandalism, but also handed the responsibility to the authors themselves.
Organizations that condemned vandalism at the comic book exhibition expressed support for the authors of vandalized artworks, and called on the entire public to condemn that act of vandalism. The manner in which the Ministry of Culture had reacted was also strongly condemned, assessing that it represents an image of a wider cultural policy and the relation toward contemporary art and freedom of speech.
In spite of being called upon to revoke its opinions, practically leveling the responsibility of the perpetrators and the authors of the destroyed artworks, the Ministry of Culture had repeated in their statements, on several occasions, part of the qualifications in question. Prime Minister Ana Brnabic also reacted on this occasion by indirectly criticizing the Ministry of Culture on the manner it reacted to violence.
Stop rightist violence in culture, Captaincy for a bar, Cvijeta for a tavern, Stop art censorship, Down with the cocaine investors, No pasaran, A cute conceptual artist offering a solution – kick the fun in art, Down with the mafia and the hooligans, Down with the Ministry of Non-Culture - these were some of the slogans seen on October the 18th at the support gathering for the authors of the vandalized exhibition. The protest was organized by The Association of Fine Artists of Serbia (ULUS) in front of the “Cvijeta Zuzoric” Art Pavilion, scheduled symbolically at five minutes to twelve o’clock, as a warning sign that it is “about time” to stop the violence.
The members of the ULUS and other associations that condemned the violence at the comic book exhibition have displayed deep concerns regarding the death threats towards the authors of these works.
"Art implies freedom of speech, which is primarily displayed in the public - in this case a gallery space. Depriving the people’s rights to freedom of expressing a different opinion is not, in any case, a legacy of a democratic society, that Serbia is considered to be. By this organized act of vandalism, the stigmatization of artists has reached a new level. The negative evaluation of artists, accompanied by publicly expressed physical violence, brands artists as unsuitable members of society. This type of discrimination belittles the entire profession, that already suffers from a bad social and economical position", stated the ULUS, and together with the Association Independent Cultural Scene of Serbia and The Association of Fine Artists of Vojvodina (SULUV) assessed the reactions from the Ministry of Culture as the most disgraceful in the history of that public institution.
“That’s enough! This hasn't happened since the 1930s, Hitler and 'the degenerate art' ", stated Anita Buncic Cetnik, an artist who was at the Old Captaincy when the violence occurred.
Dusan Petricic, a doyen of caricature, addressed words of criticism towards his colleagues, assessing that the lack of solidarity and readiness to defend their own position is actually the main reason for the latest events.
Prime Minister Ana Brnabic also indirectly criticized the statements issued by the MKI, assessing that they should have sought advice and that the MKI should have explained more clearly who has the right to use force and who has not.
(SEEcult.org)
*Support: International Relief Fund of the German Federal Foreign Office, the Goethe-Institut, and other partners
