French police officers argued with protestors when over one hundred people gathered outside the Gérard Philippe theatre in Paris’s Saint Denis in opposition of Exhibit B. The venue which planned to show the controversial installation cancelled the premiere event after only two ‘performances’ of semi naked Africans in objectifying poses.
CRAN, one of France’s African community rights group supported the protest which had already attracted over 14,000 supporters through an online petition by the group Collectif CONTRE EXHIBIT B.
Theatre director Jean Bellorini cancelled the premiere event as police confronted human right protestors who were chanting “Respect our ancestors!”, “we’re people not animals”, “No to racism”, and “Cancel the show”.
Journalist Gilda Di Carli described how a “metal barrier was pushed over and everyone, protesters and journalists included, rushed up the stairs toward the entrance of the theatre.”
Although a window was damaged and several barricades pushed over no one was seriously hurt or arrested.
Bellorini who described the incident as a ‘riot’ and called the protest a “rape of freedom of expression” was insistent that he would not cancel future showings of the racist exhibition and vowed to employ the use of more police and barriers to suppress human right protestors standing up against “Exhibit B ou les privilèges de l'homme blanc” (Exhibit B or the white mans’ privileges).
Despite its overt racism and African objectification, in France, Exhibit B has received support from the League of Human Rights, the MRAP, LICRA, the Observatory of the freedom of establishment, Syndeac (trade association of performing arts), Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo and Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin who condemned the protest for African dignity as attempts at intimidation and censorship.
Bellorini also has the support of José Manuel Gonçalves, fellow director of 104, the next venue where Exhibit B is scheduled to be installed. Speaking on the matter Gonçalves said “The deprogramming of 104 would give reason to Cran. The work is not racist, I see no reason to remove it.”
The controversial exhibitionist Brett Bailey who created the dehumanising installation condemned protestors and incited violence against them by calling for ‘fire’ and ‘rage’ at those who opposed his human zoo project. Insensitive towards the feelings of the African people he claims to be representing he said on his Facebook page “My performers are full of fire. My team is full of fire. The presenters are full of fire. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. The show will go on. Watch this space.”
The controversial work is described by its supporters as an anti-racist piece enabling paying observers to understand the racist practise of exhibiting African people during colonial occupation by in human zoos for public amusement.
It seeks to do this by exhibiting African people as silent, non-speaking objects for the entertainment of a paying and largely European audience.
Exhibitionist, Bailey told news agency AFP that the anger African people felt over his work came about from their own misunderstanding having not seen his “deeply emotional” work.
His pernicious argument has been successfully challenged and defeated earlier this year, when the racist exhibition was permanently shut down following a similar planned run organised by the Barbican at London’s Vaults. A successful petition led by Sara Myers of Boycott the Human Zoo attracted over 22,000 supporters. Bailey has refused to meet and debate the issue in public although he is still being paid for capitalising on the historic abuse and misery of African people.
Tragically, the abusive anti-African work of Baileys’ Third world Bunfight has been supported over the years by organisations such as The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF), SPIER, The National Arts Festival, The Standard Bank Foundation, The French Institute (IFAS), Pro-Helvetia Arts Council of Switzerland and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
Toyin Agbetu of the Ligali Organisation said; “It is wonderful to see the African French community come out and successfully challenge this deeply offensive installation. ‘Exhibit B’ is not art, nor is the objection to African objectification in any way censorship. It’s a pity that those that support Bailey will not accept that their insistence to demand a real life rendition of African pain and indignity for their own personal enjoyment seek to exercise a privilege borne from sympathy for a dehumanising and racist legacy.”
External Links
Petition: What is done for us, without us, is against usBlog of John Mullen - Exhibit BRally against Exhibit BParis: Protesters block racist human zoo showCRAN
The Shame of Exhibit Bamboozled
CRAN, one of France’s African community rights group supported the protest which had already attracted over 14,000 supporters through an online petition by the group Collectif CONTRE EXHIBIT B.
Theatre director Jean Bellorini cancelled the premiere event as police confronted human right protestors who were chanting “Respect our ancestors!”, “we’re people not animals”, “No to racism”, and “Cancel the show”.
Journalist Gilda Di Carli described how a “metal barrier was pushed over and everyone, protesters and journalists included, rushed up the stairs toward the entrance of the theatre.”
Although a window was damaged and several barricades pushed over no one was seriously hurt or arrested.
Bellorini who described the incident as a ‘riot’ and called the protest a “rape of freedom of expression” was insistent that he would not cancel future showings of the racist exhibition and vowed to employ the use of more police and barriers to suppress human right protestors standing up against “Exhibit B ou les privilèges de l'homme blanc” (Exhibit B or the white mans’ privileges).
Despite its overt racism and African objectification, in France, Exhibit B has received support from the League of Human Rights, the MRAP, LICRA, the Observatory of the freedom of establishment, Syndeac (trade association of performing arts), Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo and Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin who condemned the protest for African dignity as attempts at intimidation and censorship.
Bellorini also has the support of José Manuel Gonçalves, fellow director of 104, the next venue where Exhibit B is scheduled to be installed. Speaking on the matter Gonçalves said “The deprogramming of 104 would give reason to Cran. The work is not racist, I see no reason to remove it.”
The controversial exhibitionist Brett Bailey who created the dehumanising installation condemned protestors and incited violence against them by calling for ‘fire’ and ‘rage’ at those who opposed his human zoo project. Insensitive towards the feelings of the African people he claims to be representing he said on his Facebook page “My performers are full of fire. My team is full of fire. The presenters are full of fire. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. The show will go on. Watch this space.”
Anti Racism? - Paris police attend in riot gear ready to fight human right protestors
Racism as entertainment?
The controversial work is described by its supporters as an anti-racist piece enabling paying observers to understand the racist practise of exhibiting African people during colonial occupation by in human zoos for public amusement. It seeks to do this by exhibiting African people as silent, non-speaking objects for the entertainment of a paying and largely European audience.
Exhibitionist, Bailey told news agency AFP that the anger African people felt over his work came about from their own misunderstanding having not seen his “deeply emotional” work.
His pernicious argument has been successfully challenged and defeated earlier this year, when the racist exhibition was permanently shut down following a similar planned run organised by the Barbican at London’s Vaults. A successful petition led by Sara Myers of Boycott the Human Zoo attracted over 22,000 supporters. Bailey has refused to meet and debate the issue in public although he is still being paid for capitalising on the historic abuse and misery of African people.
Tragically, the abusive anti-African work of Baileys’ Third world Bunfight has been supported over the years by organisations such as The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF), SPIER, The National Arts Festival, The Standard Bank Foundation, The French Institute (IFAS), Pro-Helvetia Arts Council of Switzerland and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
Toyin Agbetu of the Ligali Organisation said; “It is wonderful to see the African French community come out and successfully challenge this deeply offensive installation. ‘Exhibit B’ is not art, nor is the objection to African objectification in any way censorship. It’s a pity that those that support Bailey will not accept that their insistence to demand a real life rendition of African pain and indignity for their own personal enjoyment seek to exercise a privilege borne from sympathy for a dehumanising and racist legacy.”
Closed down: Exhibitionist Brett Bailey
External Links
Petition: What is done for us, without us, is against usBlog of John Mullen - Exhibit BRally against Exhibit BParis: Protesters block racist human zoo showCRAN
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The Shame of Exhibit Bamboozled
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Is theatre director Jean Bellorini a passionate anti-racist who is correct to describe the protests against Exhibit B a “rape of freedom of expression” or is he just upset about his potential loss of revenue?Click here to speak out or read (1) comments about this article
The controversial exhibitionist Brett Bailey who created the dehumanising installation condemned protestors and incited violence against them by calling for ‘fire’ and ‘rage’ at those who opposed his human zoo project.
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