Swedish artist sentenced for 'racist' art

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Swedish artist sentenced for 'racist' art

Artist Dan Park imprisoned for six months after nine posters seized from gallery

Associated Press in Stockholm
theguardian.com, Friday 22 August 2014 09.11 EDT

A Swedish artist has been sentenced to six months in prison for works a court said depicted Roma and black people in a racist way.

Dan Park was convicted on Thursday of defamation and inciting hatred against an ethnic group.

The case focused on nine framed posters by Park that were seized from an art gallery in the city of Malmo in July.

One depicted three black men with nooses around their necks. Another showed Roma community leaders with text suggesting they condoned crime.

It is unusual for Swedish courts to hand out prison terms for art works. Park, who has several similar convictions, said his works were satirical and claimed the right to freedom of speech.



Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/22/swedish-artist-sentenced-racist-art-dan-park

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[Nye Bevan]

1. I wonder whether the guy who created "Piss Christ" would go to prison in Sweden

if that piece was put on display there?

I also wonder whether someone living in a different European country who created and displayed on the internet artwork that Sweden deemed offensive could be extradited to Sweden on a European arrest warrant and convicted and imprisoned there?

[Ford_Prefect]

2. You make a poor comparison here between social critique and hate speech.

This is not about free speech and artistic license but about specifically focused hate. What the artist chose to say is at the heart of this, not the medium he used to say it. He has a racist agenda which he has publicized previously. It is not art when a tea-bagger posts images of lynching Obama, it is hate speech.

The link below explains Dan Park's history:

[link:http://www.obv.org.uk/news-blogs/dan-park-racism-masquerades-art|

[littlemissmartypants]

3. Well said. nt

[redqueen]

5. Thank you. nt

[candelista]

8. There is a fine line between hate speech and thought crime.

[alp227]

9. Where is the thought crime? Nt

[candelista]

6. In the US, there would probably be a riot.

Al Sharpton would make a speech. President Obama would tell everyone to calm down. Then there would be a big discussion in the media about art and hate speech. A healthier reaction, actually.

[christx30]

7. Agreed. And the only people

that would actually go to jail are the ones that commit violent acts, and not people that express bad thoughts. As it should be.

And I know the old arguement that says violent thoughts lead to violent actions. But it doesn't always (plenty of horrible racists never assault anyone), and prosecutions for future crime aren't constitutional. Unless you think we should emulate Minority Report.

[littlemissmartypants]

4. Another great catch, Judi Lynn!

Thanks so much for your post.

Love, Peace and Shelter.
~ Lmsp

[ZombieHorde]

10. Locking people in cages for making offensive art seems extreme to me. nt

[LeftyMom]

11. The "art" in question looks more like a threat drawn in MS Paint.

[Throd]

12. It is pretty scary that they can lock people up for drawing pictures and such.