El Museo del Barrio cancels Alejandro Jodorowsky retrospective following sexual assault remarks investigation

El Museo del Barrio in East Harlem has canceled a retrospective of Chilean filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky's work after reviewing public statements he made about sexually assaulting co-star Mara Lorenzio during the production of his 1970 film El Topo. The museum's decision followed an investigation into Jodorowsky's contradictory accounts of the incident, including a 1972 book passage where he claimed "I really raped her" and a 2007 interview where he modified his confession to say he penetrated her with consent. Originally planned to include screenings of El Topo and his 2018 film Psychomagic: A Healing Art along with a tarot reading by the artist, the exhibition was canceled after museum officials determined they couldn't adequately contextualize his practice. The cancellation was reported by Hyperallergic on January 30, 2019. Jodorowsky's 1972 book El Topo: A Book of the Film contained the original rape confession, which was highlighted in a 2017 Telegraph report by Helen O'Hara. Museum representatives stated they were aware of Jodorowsky's statements from the exhibition's inception but reached an independent decision after ongoing review. Instead of the Jodorowsky retrospective, El Museo del Barrio will extend its survey of Liliana Porter's Other Situations through March 3, 2019.