Swedish Minister of Culture in 'racist circumcision outrage'

[Julhelm]

Linka

Swedish minister of culture Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth's participation in a "racist spectacle" in which she carved up a cake depicting a naked black woman has sparked outrage and prompted calls for the minister's dismissal.

"In our view, this simply adds to the mockery of racism in Sweden," Kitimbwa Sabuni, spokesperson for the National Afro-Swedish Association (Afrosvenskarnas riksförbund) told The Local.

"This was a racist spectacle."



Video courtesy of Youtube

Sabuni's comments come following Adelsohn Liljeroth's participation in an art installation that took place at Stockholm's Moderna Museet in connection with World Art Day on April 15th.

As part of the installation, which was reportedly meant to highlight the issue of female circumcision, the culture minister began cutting a large cake shaped like a black woman, symbolically starting at the clitoris.

Makode Aj Linde, the artist who created the installation and whose head is part of the cake cut by the minister, wrote about the "genital mutilation cake" on his Facebook page.

"Before cutting me up she whispered, 'Your life will be better after this' in my ear," he wrote in a caption next to the partially eaten cake.

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But images of the event, which show a smiling and laughing Adelsohn Liljeroth slicing up the cake, have caused the National Afro-Swedish Association and its members to see red and issue calls for her resignation.

"According to the Moderna Museet, the 'cake party' was meant to problematize female circumcision but how that is accomplished through a cake representing a racist caricature of a black woman complete with 'black face' is unclear," Sabuni said in a statement.

According to Sabuni, the mere fact that the minister particiapted in the event, which he argued was also marked by "cannibalistic" overtones, betrays her "incompetence and lack of judgement".

"Her participation, as she laughs, drinks, and eats cake, merely adds to the insult against people who suffer from racist taunts and against women affected by circumcision," he said.

"We have no confidence in her any longer."

Speaking with the TT news agency, Adelsohn Liljeroth was sympathetic to the association's reaction, but nevertheless defended her actions.

"I understand quite well that this is provocative and that it was a rather bizarre situation," she said.

"I was invited to speak at World Art Day about art's freedom and the right to provoke. And then they wanted me to cut the cake."

However, Adelsohn Liljeroth said the National Afro-Swedish Association's anger should be directed at the artist, not at her, claiming the situation was "misinterpreted".

"He claims that it challenges a romanticized and exoticized view from the west about something that is really about violence and racism," she said.

"Art needs to be provocative."

But the minster's defence of her actions rang hollow for Sabuni.

"It's extremely insulting for the minister to claim that we've somehow 'misunderstood' racism," he said.

According to Sabuni, the incident is "strange" but "not unexpected" in the Swedish context.

"Sweden thinks of itself as a place where racism is not a problem," he said.

"That just provides cover for not discussing the issue which leads to incidents like this."

While a museum is certainly allowed to do what it wants as long as the laws are followed, Sabuni argued that a minister needs to be held to "higher standards".

"To participate in a racist manifestation masquerading as art is totally over the line and can only be interpreted as the culture minister supporting the Moderna Museet's racist prank," he said.

This is the single most surreal thing I have seen this year. Who on earth could have thought this was a good idea? It's especially funny considering how this minister officially has a hardline anti-racist position.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

That may be literally the most racist thing I have ever seen, jesus.

[Lord Relvenous]

Holy shit. How does no one at any point in that event organization realize "hey, this might be a despicable display of bigotry and insensitivity." Seriously. The added undertone of cannibalism just makes it all the more horrible.

I honestly cannot communicate my disgust at this.

[Thanas]

WTF? The face alone is.....man.

[Korto]

Assuming the organisers were on the level, I can see what they were trying to do. Cutting open the woman, the red gore inside. The image is very shocking, very confronting; it could galvanise people's consciences.

That being said, this is one of situations where someone should has stepped back, had a look, and asked; Is this really a good idea?
Artists are artists, but what the hell are the minister's staff there for? Didn't anyone ask themselves, "Hey, good cause and all, but is there any way this could possibly be taken the wrong way? We do have an army of Opposition and Press out there who are out to get us."
And for Christ's sake, minister, wipe that bloody smile off your face.

[Haruko]

TheLocal.se is like The Onion, right? Right?

[Haruko]

Here is the BBC:

Swedish minister in 'racist cake' controversy

Sweden's culture minister is facing calls to step down after she was photographed cutting a cake designed like an African tribal woman.

The incident involving Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth happened at the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm.

According to Radio Sweden, the museum said the cake was supposed to highlight the issue of female circumcision.

But the Association for African Swedes said it was a crude racist caricature and called for Ms Liljeroth to resign.

Kitimbwa Sabuni, a spokesperson for the group, told Swedish news agency TT: "To say that you did this for a good cause only makes the mockery of people who are victims of racism and of circumcision worse."
'Bizarre situation'

The artist behind the cake, Makode Linde, who is black but was born in Stockholm, said the work had been misunderstood.

He told TT: "Considering the poor offering of art in Sweden that could be defined as African-Swedish, one would have hoped that the people in the National Association for African Swedes were more aware of the artwork that I do."

The news agency reported that Ms Liljeroth had said she could "understand that this can feel provocative".

"It was a bizarre situation. I was invited to speak at World Art Day about the freedom of art and the right to be provocative, and then they asked me to cut up the cake," the minister said.

The cake was in the shape of the naked upper body of an African woman and was filled with a blood-red sponge. Mr Linde painted his own face and took the place of the head.

[Thanas]

Hmmm. I get what he was trying to do, but the art looks a lot like those early 20th century racist stereotypes so I don't blame the guys for reacting to it as they did.

[Grumman]

I agree with Korto. Even taking the objective as a given, this seems like a really stupid way of doing it. Anyone with half a brain could recognise the risk that the delivery system might overshadow the message. If nothing else, if the artist had just had his face made up to look like a woman instead of the evil spawn of a xenomorph and a Golliwog doll, he could have avoided the worst of it. Or if he just baked a genital-shaped cake instead, if he wanted to keep the focus on the genital mutilation and not people butchering and eating a black woman.

[Todeswind]

Isn't the whole point of the cake to be offensive and get people to realize how barbaric and backwards the image of female circumcision is? I get how the use of a backward and offensive character could be used in the attempt to associate an outdated image with an outmoded practice, at least from an artistic standpoint. I can even understand why someone would think that was a good idea.

But what is appropriate for a more esoteric artistic presentation and what is appropriate for a the head of state to be involved in aren't the same. The freaking head of state should have a bit of common sense. I mean really. Seriously? This has "political suicide dumb" written above it in neon lights.

[Alkaloid]

The point was to try and evoke sympathy for the women being cut up. If the cake appeared to be a vulnerable and terrified young black woman, it would still be grotesque, but might actually work. (Honestly I don't think it would, just might. Cake is a too strange and fundamentally happy medium for this sort of thing) What it looks like is a bizarre combination of an African tribal totem and the worst elements of Tin Tin grinning like an idiot while being hacked up by a deranged Swede. It's just too.. yeah, I don't even have a word.

[LaCroix]

I believe it was supposed to be a reference to African art, which looks quite similar...



Seems a case of creativity overruling common sense - the artists were so non-racist that they didn't even get the potential problems

[loomer]

The artist is actually a black Swedish man trying to make a point about racism. Most of his work features the same minstrelized features for that exact purpose. It's specifically meant as a reference to bullshit like Gollywogs, so no, it's not that he didn't perceive it as a racist image. That was the entire point of the piece.

[madd0ct0r]

and thus it failed, because it aroused the wrong reactions in the viewer.

Instead of eliciting sympathy for the victim it just made people disgusted with the cutter - in this case a blonde Scandinavian.

[Grumman]

It's specifically meant as a reference to bullshit like Gollywogs, so no, it's not that he didn't perceive it as a racist image. That was the entire point of the piece.

Even the artist says you are wrong. The entire point was to "problematize female circumcision", which has fuck all to do with Gollywogs, blackface or racism.

[loomer]

Even the artist says you are wrong. The entire point was to "problematize female circumcision", which has fuck all to do with Gollywogs, blackface or racism.

Really now?

...Makode Linde is known for in his art, just based on racism, xenophobia and slavery. The cake, which was part of his works, was to make Western perceptions of Africa in contrast to the real picture of slavery and oppression.

He also stresses that the main purpose of the cake was not to depict mutilation.. ...

...The artist behind the cake, Makode Linde, who is black but was born in Stockholm, said the work had been misunderstood...

[loomer]

You know what, here's an even better one.

akode Linde is the artist behind the cake with Afro-Swedes' Association to rage.
-If one pulls things out of context, it is easy to feel offend or angry, he says to the Cultural News.
Cake at the Modern Museum raises criticism

10:33 Minister of Culture: "I was involved"
17/4 Modern Museum JO-entered for the "racist cake"
17/4 Modern Museum evacuated after bomb threat
17/4 "Has a total distortion of the work"
17/4 Requires the culture minister's resignation for "racist cake"

The artist Makode Linde was himself a part of the artwork that has caused outrage and got Afro Swedes' Association to demand culture minister's resignation. He posed with his head in connection with the cake body when the Minister of Culture provided himself of the cake during the event "World Art Day" at the Modern Museum. the modern museum. When Lena Adelsohn Roth and the other guests cut the cake screamed and moaned loudly artist.

"Have used the caricature"
Makode Linde believes that Afro Swedes' Association has distorted the work.
- They have probably pulled the work out of context. I am using an old caricature of black - this "Blackface" that whites used the once to mock blacks. Then, I worked on strengthening the cartoons to illustrate the prejudices that exist, he says to the Cultural News The reporter Abdul Hibombo.

- I really wish that African Swedes had followed my art - they are not that many African-Swedish artists. Had they done so they would understand that I am fighting against racism and prejudice, says Makode Linde.

Fragmented images
Pictures of the cake and movie clips that show how the cut while Makode Linde screams has circulated on social media since World Art Day.

Do you understand that the images can be perceived as racist?
- Yes, if one pulls things out of context, it is easy to be provoked feel offend or angry. I regret this, of course. But I use these stereotypical images to highlight those to a level that is easier to talk about - by using images that are overly explicit. Often with humor, I try to find new avenues to talk about racism.

Cecilia Tiberg

You still wanna claim he's not making a point about racial caricatures of African people, Grumman? Or do you want to admit that you're full of shit?

[Grumman]

You're right, I was taking the Moderna Museet's claim of the intent as accurate. I retract that statement.

However, that doesn't stop the racism angle from being an incoherent mess. There is nothing worthwhile that Linde can say about racism by being the most racist man in the room.

[Kane Starkiller]

Just to point out that the woman does have realistic looking teeth and mouth if you look closely. The "blackface" is painted around the "real" mouth.

[loomer]

That's because it's Linde's head.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Artistically I have no problem with it. It is shocking and outrageous, sure, but that was the point.

It does seem pretty irresponsible for a government official to be involved in this, though, just because of how people will inevitably react to these images.

[Simon_Jester]

That makes sense. You expect a certain neutrality and decorum from public officials- that they won't be actively jumping into things for the shock value the way an avant-garde artist might. It's fine for the Minister of Culture to have strong personal opinions on these things, and strong official opinions, but not a good idea for her to express them this way while wearing her public hat.

[mr friendly guy]

Even when told what the art was supposed to draw attention to, that was not the first thing I thought of when I saw the video. Epic fail.

[salm]

An outdated, extremely mysogonist practice combined with an outdated, extremely racist image. Seems quite appropriate.