Facebook censors Rubens' nudes: Flanders' response is ironic and hilarious

Flanders is protesting against Facebook, which is guilty of censoring images of paintings by Pieter Paul Rubens (Siegen, 1577 - Antwerp, 1640) from the social. In fact, Facebook did not like the breasts and buttocks of Rubens’ women and the nude cherubs that populate his compositions: thus, the artificial intelligence of the Menlo Park-based social, without distinguishing between artistic and pornographic nudity, classified photos of Rubens’ works as unseemly. Flanders therefore decided to start an ironic protest: they ... hired some “social media inspectors” and placed them in front of Rubens’ works preserved at the Rubenshuis in Antwerp to invite “nude lovers” in possession of a social account to leave the museum, or to observe works “approved” by Facebook’s algorithm. The whole thing was then captured in a hilarious video released on YouTube.

“We are delighted to support this particular initiative,” says Peter De Wilde, CEO of Visit Flanders, the tourism board of Flanders. “Our Flemish Masters attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to Flanders every year and we are proud of that. With our multi-year program focusing on Rubens, Bruegel and van Eyck, which started in 2018, we are aiming for three million visitors by the end of 2020. Spreading our exceptional cultural heritage today is not possible through the most popular social media. Our art is classified as obscene and even pornographic. A real shame, because it prevents the promotion of our Flemish Masters.”

“We are for, not against,” De Wilde continued, “social media and art have a lot in common. Art unites. Social media unites. And so do our Flemish Masters. That is why we want to start a dialogue with Facebook for our art to be visible on social. It certainly cannot be difficult to distinguish our cultural heritage from pornography.” “With this initiative,” De Wilde concludes, “we make ourselves heard and celebrate the spirit of Peter Paul Rubens. He was indeed a rebellious artist who did not shy away from social debate. We could not dedicate a better tribute to him than to embrace the fight against unnecessary artistic censorship.”

Also supporting the initiative was an open letter, addressed directly to Facebook patron Mark Zuckerberg, asking for a solution on a long-standing problem. The letter, also in the typical ironic style that characterizes much Belgian literature, was signed by museum directors, curators and Flemish cultural figures.

Facebook censors Rubens' nudes: Flanders' response is ironic and hilarious

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