It's actually taken me a while to decide where I come out on this incident. But after watching the video (links at LGF, here -- and it may take a while to load), I decided to write a letter to Ambassador Mazel expressing my support. It's one thing to look at a still photo of "Snow White and the Madness of Truth." Seeing the whole exhibit, in motion, is something else again. And watching Mazel turning out the lights (and, yes, deliberately pushing one of them into the pool of "blood"), looking at his expression and listening to his attempts to explain his actions, gave me a whole different perspective. I literally rushed to write that letter.
Here's the thing. I believe in free speech and free expression. Dror Feiler has a "right" to glorify the massacre of innocent men, women and children, if that's how he chooses to use his talent. The question is, what's a proper response to such a deliberately offensive work of "art?" If you assault me with words, that doesn't give me the right to punch you in the nose, but I can answer in kind. All things considered, I believe that Ambassador Mazel's actions were a valid and appropriate response to Feiler's work. A highly controversial response instigated by a highly controversial provocation.
As you can see, the exhibit wasn't permanently damaged. It was, in fact, restored in all its pristine horror the next day. No one was hurt. If Feiler was half as interested in true artistic expression as he seems to be in promoting his own sick political agenda, he might have appreciated the gesture. Performance art. I'd call it "Turning out the lights on terror: Revealing Snow White as the Red Queen."
Update: Oh, drat. Someone else had this idea first. (via KesherTalk)
And again.
