Is Claude Lévêque's "Soleil Noir" ("Black Sun") carpet still at the Elysée Palace? The question was posed to the French presidency following the revelation in July that the artist had been indicted for child rape. "Ask the Mobilier National [the national agency that conserves state furniture and decorations]. They are responsible for furnishing the palace," said an aide to President Emmanuel Macron. Upon inquiry, the commissioned piece was not in storage at the Mobilier National, despite the seriousness of the accusations levied against the artist. "This object is part of a global decorative ensemble. The decorations do not change very often," said a spokesperson for the agency.
While the government hasn't pulled the rug, literally or figuratively, it would rather keep a low profile on the subject, much like other institutions wondering what to do with the works of artists who have been accused of child sexual abuse or sexual assault. Should they still be on display by virtue of the presumption of innocence and the distinction between an artist and his work? Or should they be removed in the name of morality and respect for the alleged victims? "At what point does the work of an individual accused of wrongdoing carry a negative charge?" wondered French philosopher Carole Talon-Hugon in a 2021 interview with the radio France Culture.
Ever since the #MeToo wave, these questions have continued to rock the art world. When Chuck Close (1940-2021), a pioneer of photorealism known for his large-scale kaleidoscopic portraits, was accused in 2017 of sexual harassment by several female models, most American museums unceremoniously took down his works. Washington's National Gallery of Arts canceled a retrospective scheduled for 2018. His banishment only ended when he died in 2021.
What will Belgium decide regarding the fate of its fallen star, Jan Fabre? On October 29, the famous Flemish visual artist and choreographer will have served his 18-month suspended prison sentence for violence, harassment, sexual misconduct in the workplace and indecent assault. Will he be able to resume his career where he left off?
Isabelle Bertolotti, the director of Lyon's Contemporary Art Museum, which holds no fewer than 42 of the artist's videos, pleaded for their rehabilitation. "We have some very fine performances in our collection that raise contemporary questions and deserve to be shown again," she argued, pointing out that "justice has been served."
In contrast, Christophe Slagmuylder, the director of the Brussels art center Bozar, believes that "it will take time to be able to look again at the man and his work with the necessary distance."
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