Dark Mofo Festival Cancels Santiago Sierra's Blood-Soaked Union Jack Artwork After Backlash

Dark Mofo, a music and art festival in Hobart, Tasmania, has cancelled plans to exhibit Spanish artist Santiago Sierra's artwork Union Flag (2021), a British flag intended to be soaked in the blood of First Nations peoples. The festival's creative director Leigh Carmichael issued an apology, stating, 'We made a mistake and take full responsibility,' and apologizing to all First Nations people for any hurt caused. This marked a reversal from Carmichael's earlier defense of Sierra's 'fundamental human right' to self-expression. Sierra had invited individuals from former British Empire colonies to donate small amounts of blood for the piece, which he described as an acknowledgment of colonialism's pain and destruction. However, the project faced criticism as clumsy and exploitative. Nala Mansell of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre told ABC News that while she understood the concept of blood on the flag, it was inappropriate to ask Aboriginal people to donate blood given their history of bloodshed. The artwork was conceived as an anti-colonialist gesture, but backlash led to its cancellation. The festival is based in Tasmania, Australia.