South African president Jacob Zuma will bring a court action tomorrow arguing that a painting showing him with exposed genitalia should be removed because it violates his right to dignity and makes a mockery of his office.
The claim is disputed by the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg, which is displaying the 1.85m painting, The Spear, as part of artist Brett Murray’s Hail to the Thief II exhibition. Freedom of speech is protected in South Africa but Zuma’s governing African National Congress believes that, in this instance, the artwork is playing up to crude stereotypes of African male sexuality.
The work has reportedly been sold for 136,000 rand (€12,000) to a German buyer. – (Guardian service)
