[CPProt.net] Austria removes more art exhibits about EU

[Museum Security and Cultural Property Protection (Ton Cremers)]

Austria removes more art exhibits about EU

Published: Sunday, 1 January, 2006, 12:17 PM Doha Time 
 
VIENNA: After two posters were removed from an Austrian art exhibit about
the EU for being too provocative, a couple more have been pulled for
criticising the European ideal, the daily Kurier said yesterday.
Public debate about government funding of the poster project continued in
Vienna as Austria prepared to take over the presidency of the European Union
today.
The two pictures of the EU-themed art campaign "EuropArt" - one representing
the European ring of stars as a noose and the other criticising
anti-terrorism policies - were removed on Friday, the Kurier said.
The measure was taken "under official and political pressure" and
demonstrated "the shocking reality in a country that sees itself as
progressive and liberal", the Kurier quoted curator Walter Seidl as saying.
The images are being shown on 400 rolling electronic billboards in Vienna
and Salzburg until the end of January.
On Thursday, a poster showing an orgy featuring people wearing masks of the
French, British and American heads of state, and another entitled "EU
panties" were removed following a campaign by a popular daily and
politicians, who deemed the works too provocative.
"Not a single poster portrays Europe in a good light," Karl Doutlik, the
head of the European Commission representation in Austria, was quoted as
saying by the Kurier.
One of the remaining 146 artworks by over 70 artists from all 25 EU
countries, shows a European flag with a peace symbol, the symbol for the
Euro currency - but also a swastika and a hammer and sickle replacing the
gold stars on a blue background.
Social-Democratic politician Josef Cap said the government "appropriated the
people's money" to finance pornographic images when it made a 500,000 euro
($590,000) grant to the art project.
But in an interview with the daily Die Presse published yesterday,
Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said he "did not regret" the project, adding
its aim was to "present different artistic voices" in Austria. - AFP