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Swedes slam 'racist' art show from Denmark

The Local Sweden
The Local Sweden - [email protected]
Swedes slam 'racist' art show from Denmark
One of the participants in the art project. Photo: Anna Andrea Malzer, Global Stories

Swedes have gathered in numbers to protest against a Danish "blackface" art show in Malmö, which organizers say is supposed to give "a deeper understanding of discrimination".

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Swedes who are offended by an art production at the Malmö Festival have successfully lobbied to have it canned. 
 
The Danish performance invited the public to have their appearance altered by make-up artists. Participants were then invited to walk around in a crowded public space to experience life in someone else’s skin.
 
However, over 200 Swedes signed a petition that accused the performance of racism and it was removed from the festival.
 
“This is a project that celebrates diversity," project leader Moren Nielsen told The Local Denmark.
 
“We apologize if people feel aggrieved and we have taken the criticism seriously. This part of the programme took an unexpected turn and we have decided to cancel it,” organizer Pella Ström wrote on the festival’s website. 
 
 
 
 
The story doesn't mark the first time Swedes have been outraged by "racist art". In 2012, the minister of culture sparked outrage after she carved up a cake depicting a naked black woman (see video below). 
 
And back in April 2011, two student associations at Lund University were reported for hate speech after a party that featured the sale of "slaves" complete with blackened faces and ropes around their necks. News of the incident made headlines around the world.
 

 
Oliver Gee/The Local Denmark

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