The Kerala police have filed a case against two local artists for allegedly vandalizing the work of Algerian-French artist Hanan Benammar, accusing it of being obscene at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery in Kochi. The incident took place during the international exhibition Estranged Geographies, curated by Anushka Rajendran and Damian Christinger.
According to reports, the accused, Hochimin P H and Sudamshu, reportedly destroyed seven linocut graphic prints by Benammar around 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday, just before the gallery’s closing time. The incident occurred with only two individuals present. The complaint was filed by Murali Cheeroth, Chairperson of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, which organized the exhibition.
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered under sections 329(3) (criminal trespass), 324(4) (criminal mischief causing loss), and 3(5) (criminal act by several persons with common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The FIR states that the accused persons trespassed into the gallery and destroyed the artwork of the internationally acclaimed artist.
Hochimin P H denied tearing the prints, claiming instead that he had “removed” them as a form of protest. “I have registered my protest. The translations are obscene and anti-women. It should not have been displayed for public view,” he said.
Criticizing the act, Murali Cheeroth, Chairperson of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, condemned the vandalism as a “baseless campaign” and an attack on artistic freedom. “There was no obscenity as alleged by the persons who vandalized the work. It was a baseless campaign. Instead of raising concerns through discussion, they vandalized the gallery,” Cheeroth stated.
He further expressed concern that the incident had outraged Kerala’s art community, adding, “The incident is an attack on artistic freedom and has outraged the art community in Kerala. The damaged work was part of a prestigious international show, which was backed by reputed cultural organizations and embassies. The attack was meant to disrupt the state’s peaceful landscape.”
Cover image: Hanan Benammar’s “Go Eat Your Dad” art exhibit translated in Malayalam that was vandalised. | Hanan Benammar, @hanan_benammar/Instagram
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