Reactions to Kapoor's vandalized Dirty Corner

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Anish Kapoor’s Dirty Corner (dubbed Queen’s Vagina) can’t catch a break. First defaced in June just after its installation in the gardens of the Chateau de Versailles, the controversial sculpture has been hitting the headlines again this week after antisemtic slurs were scrawled across the giant steel and rock structure.
Prior to graffiti attacks, the sculpture came under fire from the media, apparently putting a vagina in Versailles wasn’t universally well received. Whilst this latest act has been vehemently condemned, there is fierce debate over the validity of Kapoor’s decision to not remove the racist insults.

Kapoor, British of Indian origin was born to an Iraqi Jewish mother and Hindu father, he said in a statement: “Dirty Corner will now be marked with hate and I will preserve these scars as a memory of this painful history. I am determined that Art will triumph."
 

 

HAPPENING

Here are some reactions: 

HAPPENING
Roxana Azimi: “Kapoor wants to exhibit his sculpture covered in antisemitic tags, ridiculous and obscene!”
Pascal Beaucasse:“How is it ridiculous and obscene? It is a strong artistic act! With this decision he is turning a mirror on France”

 

Kamel Mennour, the artist’s gallery posted the interview in which Kapoor stated that the work would remain as it was on Facebook…

 

HAPPENING
 
“The right response from the artist, what a perfect statement. Bravo”
“There is a long way to go for the freedom of speech, we have returned to degenerate art, it is very sad.”
“Kapoor is a hero of our time”
“Bravo Anish"
“A mixture of shame and sadness”
"Dirty France"


The Guardian’s Jonathan Jones is also on the opposing camp: "Kapoor should reconsider. He is giving bigots the oxygen of publicity and letting them ruin a beautiful work of art.” 

Whilst Some have gone as far to call it a publicity stunt…


It is also interesting to consider the legality of Anish’s intentions. As French journal Libération points out, “In France, all racist and antisemitic discourse is forbidden… and is punished by articles 24,32 and 33 of the law of July 29 1881 on the freedom of the press.” Whilst it might seem implausible that criminal action would follow, a local councilor, Fabien Bouglé, has filed a complaint against Kapoor and President of the Château de Versailles, Catherine Pégard for the propagation of antisemitic remarks — it is in fact his second complaint regarding the sculpture, the first (June 18) was for the degradation of a public monument.

“There are not many of us ready to stand against this antisemtism” Bouglé told H A P P E N I N G “and Anish Kapoor is not above the French law” he continued. But Bouglé’s tone suggests that he wants Dirty corner out tarnished or not “he wants to cause chaos in Versailles, he can’t be surprised that people want to cause chaos for Kapoor.”

Join the debate in the comments below or at @Happeningarts