Threats and insults to Sgarbi over a work in his exhibition: a Turkish bath with flag

The exhibition The Thousand of Sgarbi, a contemporary art show featuring artists selected by Vittorio Sgarbi, organized on the second floor of the Archaeological Museum in Castiglion Fiorentino (Arezzo) has not yet opened to the public since the museums and exhibition spaces are all closed, but it is nonetheless procuring big ones for the curator, who has received tons of insults and threats on social media. The reason for the controversy was the publication of an image of a work in the exhibition, a sculpture by artist Paolo Lelli entitled Turca autentica: it is a Turkish-style latrine on which the artist reproduced the flag of Turkey, with a crescent moon and five-pointed star on a red field.

Expressions like “filthy worm” and “watch what you’re doing” are among the kindest Sgarbi has received. The exhibition, curated by Sgarbi and the brainchild of Sauro Moretti and Nino Ippolito, opened yesterday in the presence of the authorities and is expected to open in March.

“This is the degeneration imposed by so-called ’political correctness,’” Sgarbi comments, “in the name of which they now want to compress even the creative freedom of the artist. In the specific case, the artist I think has only played with words, and the title of the work testifies to that: Turkish Authentic. Yes, the half moon is also the symbol of Islamism, but it is a mystification to claim that I, by exhibiting the work, wanted to send a political or religious message, much less to the Turkish government. By the way, I also have a lot of sympathy for Erdogan. It is just a work of art, not a declaration of war or a blasphemous action. However, I was surprised at the nature of certain comments that incite hatred and violence against me. I will ask my lawyer to take the necessary action against the police authorities. There are many exalted people around.”

Last night the mayor of Castiglion Fiorentino, Mario Angelli, concerned about what happened, also asked Sgarbi to remove the sculpture, intending to quell the controversy, but Sgarbi was immediately clear: “No way. If anything, I’m closing the exhibition.”

In the photo, the disputed work

Threats and insults to Sgarbi over a work in his exhibition: a Turkish bath with flag

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