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The swastika in the heart of Europe?

(B2) It is an artistic work, supposed to represent the stereotypes of each European country and produced by a Czech artist.

It was installed in the reception patio of the Council of the European Union. As tradition dictates, it hosts the artistic works of the country which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.

Commendable initiative, at the artistic level. intended to provoke and make people think. More delicate when it is hoisted to the pediment of a European building, is intended to remain there for six months and symbolizes a European presidency. Especially when countries are treated very differently. If football for Italy is quite light, the word "strike" which bars the map of the hexagon is a little less so. But it's all about perspective. On the other hand, the design of the German highways, in the shape of a swastika, (no need to play on words) is much less so.

Only this country sees him recall his tragic history (1). We don't mention the Italian or Spanish fascist state, the French or... Czech collaborationist state. This leaves a bitter impression that the artist, as well as the presidency who commissioned this work, received it and hoisted it (she cannot deny not being aware, therefore) do not deny... We find there is an unpleasant impression left by several Czech initiatives that there is a need to assert oneself at all costs, in defiance of others, at the risk of shocking or even dividing. Decidedly, this is not the role
of a European presidency.

We cannot reduce Nazi barbarism, and what followed (war, holocaust, ...) to the rank of the box of dark chocolate (Belgian), the mountains (Latvian) or football (Italian). It's insulting to history, to the victims. Nazism is not a stereotype or a prejudice. This was a reality, a reality shared by many European countries, moreover, to varying degrees.

Nb: the Czech Minister for European Affairs, Alexander Vondra, promises a press conference on the 15th toexplain, with a preposterous explanation (he didn't know). Do we believe it?...

(updated January 13 0h) In fact, there is only one artist, David Cerny, who admitted to having mystified... especially the Czech civil servants inventing the CVs of the 26 other artists who collaborated on the work. He explains : "grotesque exaggeration and mystification is one of the characteristics of Czech culture, and creating a false identity is one of the strategies of contemporary art". In short, Cerny is a born provocateur. At the school of several other artists in Eastern European countries who have always known how to play on words, and have a sense of provocation, he has won his bet - to talk about him, to make people think, it's not easy. ... This does not detract from my remarks. This type of hanging has nothing to do with official symbolism. Bulgaria, also affected (WC à la Turque which furiously recalls the Turkish occupation) has also summoned the Czech ambassador to Sofia.

The pink tank

In April 1991, Cerny had painted a Soviet T23 tank pink, symbolizing the liberation of Prague by the Red Army. USSR protest. The artist is sent to a prison for a few days to meditate. And the power had, quickly, repainted in green (for May 1). But members of the Federal Parliament had taken up the cause of the...pink and, taking advantage of their parliamentary immunity, repainted the object in the color of the artist. The tank is now exposed to the target="_blank">museum... of military history in Lesany.

Personally, even if it means provoking, what I prefer about this artist is the do it yourself, lighter, more fun, hung for a moment in front of the National Theater in Prague. As a frontispiece of the Council, like a replica of the Manneken Pis, that would have been excellent! And there were a lot of puns to be made about the compound where he was.

When an alternative culture becomes official, it dies...

(1) With Portugal - and three pieces of meat reminiscent of its colonies -; Bulgaria - and its squat toilets; Estonia and the hammer and sickle, which I saw on the second pass. My attention having been more focused on Germany. Memories of the Franco-German friendship no doubt...

(updated Jan 15) Minister Vondra has indeed explained himself. But very quickly. Not really convincing. Spending his time apologizing and sheltering behind the freedom of art. Barely answering three questions from journalists, before giving way to the artist. This one was obviously not as badass as his work proclaims. When I met him, a few minutes later, alone, I asked him: you still did things better than that, didn't you? He replied "it was a job"...

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

(Photo: (top) © Thierry Monasse - (bottom) David Cerny)

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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