Stop Adel Abdessemed's Exhibition in Mathaf

Aisha A. started this petition to H.E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QMA Chairperson, H.E Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani, QMA Vice Chairperson started this petition to

The Qatari Museum Mathaf displays an exhibition by the artist Adel Abdessemed which depicts outrageous acts of animal cruelty. The exhibition is live now in Mathaf, QF and is scheduled to stay until January 2014. We want it closed now!



Along with a variety of other elements, the show includes a series of video loops of animals being burnt alive. Some of his other pieces include a video of animals being bludgeoned to death with a sledgehammer blow on the head in front of a brick wall. The animals killed include a pig, goat, deer, ox, horse and sheep.

Abdessemed issued a statement in response but refused to justify, excuse or contextualize the killings, instead declaring his commitment to preserve the status of “an act of slaughter,” full stop, “without spectacularization and without dramatization.”



We, Qataris and residents of Qatar, are outraged and shocked at the fact that our modern art museum, the until now respected Mathaf, promotes these violent and tasteless works that have nothing to do with real art and creativity, and we demand the exhibition to be cancelled and the directors responsible fired!



Some of his other disturbing work:

- Adel traps animals in a pen, including pit bulls and roosters, and causes them to rip each other apart. The film is titled "Usine" was featured in May 2009 at a New York exhibit

- snakes and frogs kill each other on camera (in “Usine” or “Factory,” from 2008);

- a piglet eagerly nurses at a woman’s breast (“Lise,” 2011);



The directors responsible:

- Edward Dolman, QMA Executive Director & Acting CEO

- Abdellah Karroum, Mathaf Director



If you are outraged, too, you can voice your opinion here:



Mathaf FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/MathafModern



Twitter FB page:

https://twitter.com/mathafmodern



FB page for the campaign:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Adel-Abdessemed-and-Mathafs-Animal-Cruelty/468175103298693