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"Scéne d´Amour" and its consequences… one-day exhibition, screening & Panel discussion (german/english) |
“In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.…. (“The Opening”) This picture was created by Louzla Darabi, an artist of Algerian-French origin. Her pictures created quite an uproar in Göteborg this year: In February 2005, following protests of Islamic believers, the management of the Swedish Museum for World Cultures gave way to the pressure and had the picture “Scène d´Amour” taken down. A momentous decision: Artists of Muslim origin, who greatly value freedom of speech and the right to pursue their ways of life provided in Europe, feel let down by Europe and its values. They are afraid that Europe, fearing fundamentalist terrorism, will curtail its own democratic freedom. They are afraid that a very small minority will succeed in ruining those humanist achievements such as unlimited personal freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of the press and the arts, etc. right at the heart of Europe, and that they will succeed in terrorizing those who disagree with their threats in the name of the Islam. Terrorizing them in such a way that an emancipated museum management feels forced to act differently from what is their DUTY. The duty of guaranteeing a protective space for art, in order to engender a world of open conflicts, of divergences, of contrasts and of apparent and real irreconcilabilities. In other words: The protective space that art needs in order to survive. Where are they now? Where are the critics, the feminists, the guardians of more than 200 years of European achievements in culture? Has the dominance of religion not been banished a long time ago? This fear seems to be justified, especially after the cold-blooded murdering of the Dutch artist Theo van Gogh, that day, when the mosques were burning in the Netherlands. And it is this fear that will be the topic of our panel discussion in connection with this exhibition. Among others, four European artists (some with, some without a Muslim background) will speak on the panel topic: |
„Europe and the Power of Islamist fundamentalism – Art as a means of emancipation in a new historic context. “ The Topic also deserves a public discussion, as there is no way of questioning that the second and third generations of Muslim immigrants have changed the face of Europe. While one part of them, deprived of their roots, radicalizes and turns to Islamist terror, e.g. in London, Spain, Amsterdam or New York, artists such as Louzla Darabi or Fateme Gosheh take a different approach: Here, art is to be understood as a media for peace and reflection; as a means to legitimize women and humanity in the Islam. This is why the controversial picture „Scène d´Amour“ can also be understood as a postulate, especially as “physical love is one of the many different ways to reach the threshold of the spiritual world.“ (Louzla Darabi) PROGRAMM We are grateful for the kind support of The State Office for Political Education of Rhineland-Palatinate, Mainz/Germany, and the Ministry for Education, Women and the Young of Rhineland-Palatinate, Mainz/Germany. |
| DIA, Association f. Culture & Migration e. V. Am Gonsenheimer Spieß 18 D - 55122 Mainz Mail: KultDIA@t-online.de |
