French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday condemned an "act of vandalism" after a controversial painting by Swiss artist Miriam Cahn, on display at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, was doused with spray paint on Sunday.
"Attacking a work is an attack on our values. In France, art is always free and respect for cultural creation is guaranteed," President Macron said on Monday.
The Palais de Tokyo modern art museum said a man "deliberately degraded" Miriam Cahn's work by throwing purple paint at it, adding it would file a complaint for damage to property and obstruction of freedom of expression.
Described as elderly, the man was "unhappy with the sexual portrayal of a child and an adult presented in the painting" but did not appear to be affiliated with any activist group.
The painting entitled "Fuck abstraction!", on display since mid-February, shows a person with their hands tied behind their back being forced to perform oral sex on a faceless, powerful man.
Critics have said the victim in the painting depicts a child, which Cahn has denied.
"They are not children," Cahn insisted. "This painting deals with the way in which sexuality is used as a weapon of war, as a crime against humanity," she said in a statement issued by the museum in March.
Several children's rights groups had denounced the painting as child pornography, calling for it be withdrawn.
But their bid to have it removed was rejected in the French courts.
Controversial painting
Culture minister Rima Abdul Malak said in a statement that the artwork, as presented in this context, had been approved to be presented to the public by the justice system.
"The National Rally (RN) has used this painting to stir up controversy and attack the creative freedom of artists," said the minister, who was questioned on the subject in March by RN MP Caroline Parmentier. "Without this instrumentalisation by the RN, we would certainly not have reached this point," she added.
"We regret the extreme consequences of this controversy," said Guillaume Desanges, president of the Palais de Tokyo, which aims to "support art with enthusiasm, awareness and responsibility toward all audiences."
Tableau « Fuck abstraction ! » de Miriam Cahn : le conseil d'état confirme que l'œuvre restera présentée.
— Palais de Tokyo (@PalaisdeTokyo) April 14, 2023
Communiqué de presse du 14 avril 2023 ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/XAqqwbFYbo
"In agreement with the artist, the Palais de Tokyo will continue to present the painting and the exposition," which has attracted 80,000 visitors, "with traces of the damage until the end of the season, 14 May," it said in a statement.
France's highest administrative court, the Conseil d'Etat, in April dismissed a legal bid to have the painting taken down.
Given that the painting was on show in an art gallery "accompanied by detailed contextual information, it does not seriously or clearly unlawfully harm the best interests of the child or the dignity of the human person", it ruled.
(with wires)
