Naked at the museum?
Did you see this video of a naked guy showing his penis in front of children at the Musée de la civilisation in Quebec City?
Don't be offended, the museum tells us!
This is a "contemporary art performance"!
MUSEUM OF DECIVILIZATION
The video, filmed by Rebel News Quebec, circulated extensively. It shows a man wrapped in Saran Wrap. Two people armed with scissors cut the film and then cut out his boots to reveal his penis.
The bearded artist then puts on a dress and high heels, moving from one "genre" to another.
We clearly see several young children in the audience who are hiding their eyes.
During the performance, the man declaims in a theatrical tone: "Because a black trans woman preceded my path, I can emancipate myself tonight at the museum. My skin is plexiglass. You can see yourself in the ice. Delete all classes. White skin, white skin. Immaculate. Privileged white skin. Are you afraid to think about it?"
Here is the explanation sent to me by Anne-Sophie Desmeules, press relations officer of the museum: "During the opening night of the exhibition Unique in its kind, several artists were invited to perform, including Barbada, the circus company Flip Fabrique and the theater company Kill ta peur, which offered a contemporary art performance. [...] All these performances and interventions took place exclusively as part of the launch party and were aimed at an informed audience. They aimed to represent the artistic diversity of this community.
SCREENSHOT REBEL NEWS QUEBECThe Unique of Sorts exhibition is aimed at an adult audience and we recommend that young people under the age of 14 be accompanied by an adult. To this end, a warning note appears at the entrance of the room. Nudity has always been common in art and it is important to take into account the contexts and the approach of artists."
Except that on the museum's Facebook page, nothing says "for the informed public"! How many parents who had taken their child to the opening of a cool exhibition at the museum expected to see a naked man screaming against white privilege?
ADMIT YOUR MISTAKES!
On QUB radio, I asked the director of the museum if in the exhibition Unique in Kind, we were going to be lectured.
"Not at all!" he replied.
However, here is what we can read in the official guide of the expo, accessible online.
"No one chooses their assigned sex at birth, whether you are a cisgender or transgender person. When a person is born, the social and medical system classifies him or her into one of two binary categories: "male" or "female."
It talks about "systemic violence" experienced by trans and non-binary people.
We are given orders: "Admit your mistakes and listen for constructive criticism" and "Use gender-neutral language when addressing groups of people or writing documents or emails."
But the purpose of the exhibition is not AT ALL to lecture us...
Don't be offended, the museum tells us!
This is a "contemporary art performance"!
MUSEUM OF DECIVILIZATION
The video, filmed by Rebel News Quebec, circulated extensively. It shows a man wrapped in Saran Wrap. Two people armed with scissors cut the film and then cut out his boots to reveal his penis.
The bearded artist then puts on a dress and high heels, moving from one "genre" to another.
We clearly see several young children in the audience who are hiding their eyes.
During the performance, the man declaims in a theatrical tone: "Because a black trans woman preceded my path, I can emancipate myself tonight at the museum. My skin is plexiglass. You can see yourself in the ice. Delete all classes. White skin, white skin. Immaculate. Privileged white skin. Are you afraid to think about it?"
Here is the explanation sent to me by Anne-Sophie Desmeules, press relations officer of the museum: "During the opening night of the exhibition Unique in its kind, several artists were invited to perform, including Barbada, the circus company Flip Fabrique and the theater company Kill ta peur, which offered a contemporary art performance. [...] All these performances and interventions took place exclusively as part of the launch party and were aimed at an informed audience. They aimed to represent the artistic diversity of this community.
SCREENSHOT REBEL NEWS QUEBECThe Unique of Sorts exhibition is aimed at an adult audience and we recommend that young people under the age of 14 be accompanied by an adult. To this end, a warning note appears at the entrance of the room. Nudity has always been common in art and it is important to take into account the contexts and the approach of artists."
Except that on the museum's Facebook page, nothing says "for the informed public"! How many parents who had taken their child to the opening of a cool exhibition at the museum expected to see a naked man screaming against white privilege?
ADMIT YOUR MISTAKES!
On QUB radio, I asked the director of the museum if in the exhibition Unique in Kind, we were going to be lectured.
"Not at all!" he replied.
However, here is what we can read in the official guide of the expo, accessible online.
"No one chooses their assigned sex at birth, whether you are a cisgender or transgender person. When a person is born, the social and medical system classifies him or her into one of two binary categories: "male" or "female."
- Listen to the interview with Éric Duhaime, leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec on Sophie Durocher's show via QUB radio:
It talks about "systemic violence" experienced by trans and non-binary people.
We are given orders: "Admit your mistakes and listen for constructive criticism" and "Use gender-neutral language when addressing groups of people or writing documents or emails."
But the purpose of the exhibition is not AT ALL to lecture us...
