Macron defends Miriam Cahn after Palais de Tokyo vandalism

On May 7, 2023, a man vandalized Miriam Cahn's painting 'Fuck Abstraction!' at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, spraying it with purple paint. The work, part of Cahn's retrospective 'Ma Pensée Sérielle' (on view until May 14), depicts a sexual assault scene that critics labeled as child pornography. Cahn clarified the painting references war rapes in Bucha, Ukraine, not a child. The vandalism followed weeks of controversy fueled by far-right politician and child protection groups, though a court had already ruled in Cahn's favor. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the act on Twitter, stating 'Attacking a work is attacking our values.' Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak also criticized the far-right for attacking artistic freedom. Palais de Tokyo president Guillaume Désanges confirmed the painting will remain on display with the damage until the show's end. Cahn, born in Basel in 1949, is a Swiss feminist artist known for exploring bodily violence and social codes. Her retrospective features over 200 works from the 1980s onward.