Outrage as artist ‘BEHEADS’ Theresa May by Brexit guillotine in political protest
A DUTCH artist has sparked outrage over his beheading of Theresa May by a Brexit guillotine in an anti-Brexit piece for the Weston-super-Mare Sand Sculpture Festival.
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Johannes Hogebrink is making a controversial sand sculpture that aims to “turn heads” with what he describes as a “political cartoon in sculpture form”. The piece, which is set to be finished on Tuesday, delivers the message that “to cut off England from Europe is to cut off her head, but she is doing it anyway”, Mr Hogebrink explained. The artwork also depicts US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin watching the beheading with glee.
The controversial sculpture, which some social media users have branded a “hate crime”, is part of the Weston Sand Sculpture Festival that opened on April 19.
It has a theme of ‘What If…?’ where artists explore important and alarming messages from around the world.
Mr Hogebrink’s piece, which is six mothers wide and four metres high, is titled ‘What If They Are Trying To Divide Us?’
He has been building the model for a week and the sculpture has received a lot of criticism on social media.
One Facebook user described it as “fundamentally wrong”, with another saying it was “distasteful”.
But Mr Hogebrink hit back at critics, arguing: “It is my firm opinion that if you do not understand the piece then you shouldn’t be allowed to vote.”
He added that he had been hoping to “turn heads” with the piece.
Speaking to Bristol Live, he said he had expected the sculpture to be branded as a hate crime.
He said: “People are hypersensitive and they will do anything to be outraged.
“It’s a political cartoon in sculpture form. In cartoons lots of things are symbolised by beheadings.
“It is not violent or bloody or gross.”
Mr Hogebrink’s piece is planned to stay on the beach until October.
Though social media posts have complained that the sculpture is a hate crime, it is not known if a report has been made to police.