A Dutch artist is facing criticism for an art installation that gives visitors the chance to pose as the victims of Mohammed Emwazi, the Islamic State terrorist known as Jihadi John, who was filmed beheading prisoners.
Emwazi is shown wielding a knife and preparing to cut the throat of whoever puts their face in the hole.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
One critic said that Anne Bothmer’s work “needlessly brought festival visitors, including children, face to face with terrorism”, adds the paper.
But Bothmer defended her right to stimulate discussion through a provocative approach, saying that “lorries driving into crowds, bombings and shootings” caused a “massive stream of irrational reactions”.
She said: “As a spectator of these attacks we do not want to experience it, but we want to be part of it. The overarching tone of the messages within the aftermath amplifies a feeling of collective victimisation by European citizens.
“However, in comparison there were only a few who were really present at the attacks and the rest of Europe only perceived them through cinematic and photographic imagery.”
As soon as the work was unveiled “local politicians from different parties called for the removal of the IS artwork”, reports the Daily Mail.
Arjan Brouwer, of Democratic Platform Enschede, said: “We call urgently upon the mayor to act and remove this element of Gogbot immediately from the event.
“This picture of genocide does not belong at this event and needlessly confronts our inhabitants and children with terrorism, human suffering and traumatic experiences which they went through in the country they fled from.”
The festival organisation and the mayor of Enschede are yet to respond.
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Normalising relations with the Taliban in AfghanistanThe Explainer The regime is coming in from the diplomatic cold, as countries lose hope of armed opposition and seek cooperation on counterterrorism, counter-narcotics and deportation of immigrants
-
In Suriname, the spectre of Dutch slave trade lingersUnder the Radar Dutch royal family visit, the first to the South American former colony in nearly 50 years, spotlights role of the Netherlands in transatlantic trade
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
Rob Jetten: the centrist millennial set to be the Netherlands’ next prime ministerIn the Spotlight Jetten will also be the country’s first gay leader
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
