Tunisia: The exhibition of El Abdellia that awoke the "sleeping monster"
It was hardly expected that a small art show could generate so much "damage", yet this indeed was the case. The exhibition celebrating the 10th Spring Arts at the Abdellia Palace, located in La Marsa in Tunisia managed to get talked about, but surely not in the way desired by the exhibitors.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Tunisia-The-exh...
The exhibition, which angered Islamic parties and even "secular" (CPR and Ettakatol) which automatically linked it to coordinated violent incidents and the paintings in the exhibition, has awakened "the sleeping monster" that was the supposed spark that lit the conflagration of the demostrations in Tunisia last week unleashing the worst violence seen since the revolution.
Salafists destroyed some works on display, saying they were an insult to Islam and they threatened to kill the artists responsible.
The art gallery has been closed and action may be taken against it for permitting works to be shown which offended against the islamic religion. A balance has to be struck between freedom of expression and knowingly causing offence which it is clear will encourage islamic violence. Some kind of balance has to be struck to avoid conflict but also to maintain artistic freedom. Salafists have been attacking artists for months in Tunisia and they
seem to be against art altogether.The two sides seem irreconcilable.
Salafists destroyed some works on display, saying they were an insult to Islam and they threatened to kill the artists responsible.
The art gallery has been closed and action may be taken against it for permitting works to be shown which offended against the islamic religion. A balance has to be struck between freedom of expression and knowingly causing offence which it is clear will encourage islamic violence. Some kind of balance has to be struck to avoid conflict but also to maintain artistic freedom. Salafists have been attacking artists for months in Tunisia and they
seem to be against art altogether.The two sides seem irreconcilable.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Tunisia-The-exh...