Tasmanian Festival Dark Mofo Pulls Controversial Work That Was Going To Use Indigenous People’s Blood

Tasmania's Dark Mofo festival has pulled one of its major artworks after receiving a wave of backlash from Indigenous artists around the country.

The June event, which is run by the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), was forced to issue an apology for planning to showcase a piece by Spanish artist Santiago Sierrahas.

The artist wanted to create a British flag 'immersed in the blood of First Nations peoples from territories colonised by the British Empire'.

Issuing a statement to Facebook on Tuesday, the festival's creative director Leigh Carmichael wrote: "We've heard the community's response to Santiago Sierra's Union Flag.

"In the end, the hurt that will be caused by proceeding isn't worth it. We made a mistake, and take full responsibility.

"The project will be cancelled. We apologise to all First Nations people for any hurt that has been caused. We are sorry."

The apology comes after many criticised the work on social media, with people calling it 're-traumatising' and 'white guilt art'.

Noongar writer Claire Coleman tweeted: "A coloniser artist intending to produce art with the actual blood of colonised people is abusive, colonising and re-traumatising. The idea is disgusting and terrible and should not have been considered."

Tasmanian Liberal Senator Eric Abetz said that disrespecting another country's flag 'would not do much to help Aboriginal Australians'.

"The desecration of another country's flag is something which I think most people would find to be over the top, but that is up to those people to determine," he said.

"We live in a free country. We would expect our flag to be respected, similarly the British have the right to expect their flag to be respected and you can make these points without this sort of desecration and obvious ugliness.

Prior to the uproar, Dark Mofo organisers announced that they were inviting 'expressions of interest' from 'First Nations peoples from countries and territories colonised by the British Empire at some point in their history, who reside in Australia'.

"Participants will be required to donate a small amount of blood for the artwork, facilitated by a medical professional before the festival," they added.

"Once expressions of interest have closed, one participant will be randomly selected to represent each country (for instance, one person from Canada, one from New Zealand, one from Sudan, one from Fiji etc)."

Tasmania's annual Dark Mofo event is set to take place between June 16 and 22.

Topics: Australia

Jessica Lynch

@jesskalynch