The day before yesterday, a tweet “the poster (self) censored in the spring of the arts” indicated the return of censorship, worse self-censorship, in the world of art … for political-religious reasons.
Indeed, after the opening of the Printemps des Arts at La Marsa, discord settled between the artists and the organizers of the festival, because one of them had asked an artist to win his play, reports several media.
And as we live in an electric atmosphere concerning everything related to religion, and that the work in question is entitled: “The Islaic Republic of Tunisia”. It didn’t take more for ‘misunderstanding’ to settle down. This has pushed certain independent artists, still according to the same sources, to win their works as a sign of solidarity.
The indignation spread on the Tunisian canvas in the space of 24 hours. The net was in effervescence.
We contacted Luca Lucattini, Director of “Printemps des Arts”. He told us that the controversy that broke out on certain electronic sites and social networks stems from a misunderstanding and not from censorship.
The work of the young artist, Electro Jaye was won in the perspective of an organization and a distribution of the works, through the galleries of the Abdellia palace and not because of any state pressure, specifies L. Lucattini.
The work in question represents at first glance, almost jumbled, a cross, a star crescent at the top and the David star at the bottom.
We also contacted, Madame Aicha Gorgi who confirmed to us that the painting in question was in the gallery which bears her name, at the Abdellia palace and that the artist was expected so that he could be hung.
However, after the television misadventure of the animated film “Persepolis”, we understood that freedom stopped where religion was starting and that we are not immune to self-censorship!