Kenan Malik critiques cultural appropriation debates in contemporary art
Kenan Malik delves into how cultural appropriation has become a major issue affecting artistic freedom. He points to the case of M.F. Husain, who faced lawsuits and was forced into exile after Hindu nationalists protested against him, leading to the closure of his 2006 exhibition at Asia House Gallery in London. Malik discusses controversies surrounding works like Dana Schutz's Open Casket from 2016 and Henry Taylor's depiction of Philando Castile, focusing on identity-related critiques. He includes insights from Susan Scafidi, Nesrine Malik, and Kamila Shamsie, supporting the idea that creativity shouldn't be limited. The article also mentions Chris Ofili's The Holy Virgin Mary and Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses, while critiquing gatekeeping, as seen in the cancellation of Brett Bailey's Exhibit B in 2014. This summary comes from a talk at Rich Mix, London, on November 10, 2017, and was published in ArtReview's December 2017 issue.
Key facts
- M.F. Husain faced lawsuits and exile over his depictions of Hindu deities, with his exhibition at London's Asia House Gallery shut in 2006 after protests.
- Dana Schutz's painting Open Casket (2016) at the Whitney Biennial sparked petitions for its destruction, while Henry Taylor's work on Philando Castile received praise.
- Susan Scafidi defines cultural appropriation as taking intellectual property or cultural expressions without permission.
- Chris Ofili's The Holy Virgin Mary (1996) was denounced by New York mayor Rudy Giuliani as desecrating religion.
- Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses (1988) was seen as blasphemous by many Muslims.
- Brett Bailey's Exhibit B was cancelled at London's Barbican Centre in 2014 after protests deemed it racist, despite actors' defenses.
- Kenan Malik argues that campaigns against cultural appropriation empower gatekeepers and stifle artistic and political progress.
- The article is based on a talk given at Rich Mix, London on 10 November 2017, published in ArtReview's December 2017 issue.
Entities
Artists
- Maqbool Fida Husain
- Dana Schutz
- Henry Taylor
- Chris Ofili
- Salman Rushdie
- Brett Bailey
- Kara Walker
- Jack Whitten
- Blind Willie Johnson
- Elvis Presley
- The Beatles
- Amiri Baraka
- Omer Fast
- Sam Durant
- Beyonce
Institutions
- Asia House Gallery
- Whitney Biennial
- James Cohan Gallery
- Fordham University
- Brooklyn Museum
- Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
- Barbican Centre
- ArtReview
- Rich Mix
- Brisbane Writers Festival
- UNESCO
Locations
- India
- London
- United Kingdom
- Qatar
- New York
- United States
- Mississippi
- Jackson
- Australia
- South Africa
- Brisbane