A filmmaker withdrew from his role as Davos cultural leader before smashing a TV in protest, after labelling the World Economic Forum event a “grotesque charade.”

Keiichi Matsuda took to Twitter to announce his departure from the summit, billed as an opportunity for 40 “cultural leaders” to “speak truth to power and inspire more responsive and responsible leadership”.

Mr Matsuda wrote: “I'm officially withdrawing as a Davos cultural leader. I refuse to let my work be used to legitimise this grotesque charade #wef17.”

The post was accompanied by a video in which the artist picks up a metal rope stand and slams it into a television screen.

The screen shatters and falls from its wall mount to the floor, with Mr Matsuda reassuring onlookers: “It’s my work, it’s OK."

Mr Matsuda took to Medium shortly after to clarify the intentions behind the provocative statement.

"I found a lot of things upsetting; the CEO of Wal-Mart talking about his commitment to ethics (NEWS: they are releasing a responsibly sourced t-shirt). The biggest mall operator in the middle east talking about his commitment to sustainability (he built a ski slope with real snow in Dubai)," he wrote.

"Under the surface it’s the same old money, power and callous greed. These people are not stupid. The staff the participants, the delegates, everyone there knows that it’s not real, that its just theatre. Many people I spoke to confirmed this, with a kind of ‘it is what it is’ attitude. I found myself becoming complicit, lending my own work to support and validate the whole thing."

He added: "I went to Davos with an open mind, and didn’t intend to make any kind of protest, but in the end destroying my own work was the only way I could see to leave cleanly. I’m glad I have the freedom to stand up to bulls**t."

The annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos started on Tuesday, billed as bringing together political and business leaders with a mission to “improve the state of the world.”