Two paintings by Macedonian artist censored in Gozo

Dear Raphael First I want to correct you that Perica Georgiev Pepsi is Macedonian and not Bulgarian artist. Georgiev and Stankovski and few other artists were creators and members of the avant-garde artistic group "ZERO" created in the '80s in Macedonia. Perica Georgiev this days live in Bulgaria, but that doesn't mean that he is Bulgarian, many times trough our conversations I correct you about this, and you continue writing his nationality as you wanted. The other thing what I really don't understand is that I bring you two major recognized artists for your "festival" and you didn't even take responsibility for the paintings of Perica Georgiev, which after you receive it, you open them after two weeks and you told me that they are totally destroyed, which is totally irresponsible from your side. When you receive something you check it straight away. On your so called "festival" 2 of the paintings of Perica were exhibited in the last room in a corridor, and hanged on a window. From my personal experience I have never seen in my life exhibiting paintings on WINDOW. You as you are saying that you are curator on this "festival" you should have little more knowledge, how to place the exhibits, honestly how the art pieces are exhibited is more like a market place, then as a serious exhibition. Now lets speak little about the case of Aleksandar Stankovski. After introducing you with Perica Georgiev art, in my house in Msida when you was our guest I introduced you with the art work of Aleksandar Stankovski showing you his videos and his paintings, and explaining to you that right now in his artistic career he is creating paintings with erotic subject. You reaction when you see his work was WOW I like his work, let exhibit his work in Gozo. That were your words. I contact the artist and he was so polite and accept to send his work for your "festival". Your idea to change the mentality here with the "festival" is big farce, You only think how to make money for your self, still feeding the people with what they want to see. On your "festival" which is more then one untasty exhibition, the only people who came from abroad to exhibit were the Peruvian artist Maria Helena, Aleksandar Stankovski, Perica Georgiev and The Japanese photographer who send you by post her photos, the other artists are two foreigners who live in Gozo. I am not seeing your Australian, Slovenian,Dutch, Bulgarian, Austrian and I don't know from where other artists. That what you have written for this festival that is happening for first time in Gozo is not true, because many times before Foreigner artists have already exhibited in The Cittadella Centre for Culture and Arts. On your "festival" there aren't 200 pieces of art and there weren't 200 people for the opening of the "festival" as you have said for the news paper Torca. There is photography of the opening from the Gozo news in which is showing that only 40 maximum 50 people were on the opening on your so called "festival". Raphael you called Mr.Toni Bonello and tell to him that The Ministry of Gozo pressed you to don't exhibit the paintings from Aleksandar Stankovski and after few hours you confirm the same story to me.Then other story came out That you are the responsible person for that and that you false blame the ministry for nothing. Now in the news paper Torca you are taking all the responsibility for the censor but this time you are mentioning the pressure from the Bishop. Listen Mr. Labro I don't understand how you are not shame of you self, first blaming for nothing the Ministry of Gozo and Now the Bishop. You as artist if you are real artist will not speak about pornography, because if you really understand art, you will know the difference between art and pornography. But you are not artist you, only know to copy your Goddess and nothing else.Coming to this point you too have photos of REAL naked women, so shall we classify this photos as pornographic nature and you have also exhibit them in the Gozo "festival" with out problem, but Stankovski erotic imagination you banned. Saying that you are inspired from Picasso, Matisse and Chagall ,than I ask you: Are these artists who have painted naked women. Are all of them pornographers ?

Dear Organiser what you say is all untrue, the painting where coming up on Monday morning 5th July and we had also there frames ordered, they where ordered at the frame shop in Victoria and you where with us. On Tuesday morning you phoned me saying Toni we have Big Problem someone saw the paintings on internet and reported at the Gozo Ministry, stating that they where pornographic, and that a High Ranked Ministry Personal told you either the paintings not to be exhibited or the whole festival wouldn't be happening. So these where you words. Also you said to me better to sacrifice one artist than all, apologising to me say you had none to do with this. Now we all know the truth and stop playing the victim as you are not. In reality your so called festival is just a scam, I know to the last detail what happened to the Peruvian Artist, from when she got the fake taxi, the frames and wanting to post her painting to Paris, so just don't open my mouth cause I will give details publicly.I was participating in this farce until The Organiser banned me "Sorry, Toni Bonello, you can not access Gozo International Contemporary Arts Festival as you have been suspended. If you think you've been suspended in error, you can contact the administrator." This serious Curator wasn't even there when I went the next day to pick my Art Effects and those of Georgiev Perica who is a Macedonian Artist and not Bulgarian as stated by the organiser. There was only a 11 year girl taking care of this exhibition, I took my 7 art pieces and 2 painting from Perica and Mr.Labro this serious Curator didn't even bother calling to see why I took my art effects and also the painting. Till today I'm still waiting for this call that never came. But now in an interview in the It-Torca of last Sunday the Organiser blamed that there was pressure from the Bishop. Also I know the exact reason why as the Person in charge of the Citadella Centre for Culture is hanging on a string and was scared to lose his job. Raphael I know much more so please don't let me say all I know please.

I am the organiser and curator of the Gozo International Contemporary Arts Festival which I have set up and which is currently being held between the 7th July and the 4th of August 2010. This is the first edition of the festival. In order to organise the event, I booked the Citadella Centre for Culture and the Arts towards the end of last year. Part of the initial setup was to present the themes for the festival. It was accorded that the main four themes would be sculpture, photography, painting, and video. In relation to painting I decided to focus on the theme Dreaming Soul. About two months ago, around the beginning of May, I was contacted by Jasmina Kotevska. She came across some advertising which I had done about this event and contacted me about the possibility of introducing artists into this festival. I accepted her request to provide me with artists who could take part in the exhibition. Eventually, Jasmina Kotevska presented me with two artists, one from Bulgaria, Perica Georgiev, and the other from Macedonia, Aleksandar Stankovski. I asked her about the pictures which the artists would be producing and exhibiting at the festival. In a matter of days I was presented with the pictures of the Bulgarian artist through a system on the internet set up appositely for this reason. However, in regards to the Macedonian artist it was much later that I was presented with his work. This was about four weeks ago when the official programme and brochures had already been circulated. When she presented me with a reproduction of the paintings, I automatically refused to accept them to be exhibited. It should be pointed out that only two paintings were produced. These paintings had a very strong pornographic element. I refused to accept participation particularly for the following reasons: • Being the organiser and the curator of the festival, full responsibility of the event is vested in myself; • Again the paintings did not fit the theme which I chose for the festival since, the main theme was ‘Dreaming Soul’ which is a spiritual concept and had nothing to do with eroticism or pornography; • Knowing the Gozitan and Maltese culture, I had to respect the beliefs and morals of the place; • Exposing pornographic elements in public would definitely be against the local regulations and would therefore be unacceptable; • Being well aware that the event would be frequented by many people of different beliefs, especially minors and children, given the time of the year and the opening hours for the exhibition, I had to be responsible that the artefacts exhibited would not in any way offend the sponsors and supporters of the Gozo International Contemporary Arts Festival, as well as the general public and those who visited the Citadella Centre for Culture and the Arts with respect to moral issues. In fact, the said two paintings never arrived in Gozo, since the mediator knew about my decision as soon as I received a copy of the pictures by email on the 15th of May 2010. Eventually I was contacted by Jasmina Kotevska and she told me that the painter, Aleksandar Stankovski was offended by my decision not to let him participate in the painting exhibition and that eventually he would retire his participation in the video section as well. An important thing that should be pointed out is that my on-line ‘Facebook’ account of the event was closed down. Initially the two photos were put on my account and these were reported as pornography, following a second attempt to re-upload the photos the account was closed altogether. Finally, I got to know that the press is giving a good coverage of the situation, however with incorrect details. It is definitely not true that the Ministry for Gozo has in any way influenced me with the decision about these two particular paintings. Therefore, I do categorically reject all the allegations in respect to any direct orders or influence by any other body. Had the paintings been exhibited I believe the Censorship Board would have analysed the paintings and thereupon a strong possibility that the entire exhibition would have been closed down. This was something which I could not risk given that many participants have travelled from all over the world, for example Germany and Peru, in order to exhibit their art. The other participants have also stressed that they were not prepared to show their art and be associated with the rejected works under the afore said theme. I do fear that the issue may be reduced to a marketing coup since the rejected pieces had no relevance to the theme "Dreaming Soul" and had little to do with art credibility. Gozo International Contemporary Arts Festival is currently being held till the 4th of August 2010 at the Citadella Centre for Culture and the Arts in Gozo. ______________ Raphael Labro

if its a public event, people go because they want to, so its up to them to choose what they want to see. if they dont like a piece then they can just walk another step and have a look at the other art. we are in 2010 and not 1800. and if labros reasons have to do with his personal views thenche should not be involved in an arts festival!!. if it is because of the church then they should stop and think.. maltese do not bother with our religion anymore,its only the old peoples who do. again the church should stop and think instead of wasting its time with censorship of paintings!!.. maybe they could also have a workshop at the curia to find out how their priests conduct their life.. also, why no young persons join them!!

This story is still evolving people, so to well informed sources the Gozo Ministry has nothing to do with this thing,or the Censorship Board. The truth is that Raphael Labro invented this story that the paintings got censored from the Gozo Ministry, now to add to all cause I supported my wife Jasmina in this unjust case yesterday evening I got Banned from the Gozo International Contemporary Arts Festival.http://gozo-international-art-festival.ning.com/main/index/banned# This morning I personally went to Gozo to pick my art effects and another Macedonian Artist paintings which I and my wife are fully responsible for. This so called festival is nothing but a big farce

I believe this country is back to the mentality of the 50's and 60's when foreign magazines used to have phtos of girls in two-piece swimsuits (not even a bikini) either cut out or covered with felt-pens, movies which are today seen at any time of day on tv either banned or classified for those over 21 etc etc. There seems to be, in my view, an aggressive campaign by the fundamentalists in Malta, in my opinion marshalled by the Catholic Church, to restrict freedom of expression to the minimum. The Church no longer has powers of pysical coercion but, in my view, it still imposes its obscurantist diktat vicariously through the organs of state on the entire population, believers and non-believers. The campaign appears to be at its harshest where anything concerning sex is involved. Sex is concupiscence, an evil desire resulting from original sin that must be repressed, fought against and indulged in, out of biological necessity, only for the procreation of children. Th following is a brief rendering of the teaching of one of the most exalted Church Fathers, Augustine of Hippo, from the New Advent online encyclopedia: He expounds the peculiar and natural blessings of marriage. He shows that among these blessings must not be reckoned fleshly concupiscence; insomuch as this is wholly evil, such as does not proceed from the very nature of marriage, but is an accident thereof arising from original sin. This evil, notwithstanding, is rightly employed by marriage for the procreation of children. But, as the result of this concupiscence, it comes to pass that, even from the lawful marriage of the children of God, men are not born children of God, but of the world, and are bound with the chain of sin, although their parents have been liberated therefrom by grace; and are led captive by the devil, if they be not in like manner rescued by the self-same grace of Christ. He explains how it is that concupiscence remains in the baptized in act though not in guilt. He teaches, that by the sanctity of baptism, not merely this original guilt, but all other sins of men whatever, are taken away. He lastly quotes the authority of Ambrose to show that the evil of concupiscence must be distinguished from the good of marriage. http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/15071.htm Readers may draw their own conclusions.

I hate to spoil someone's party, but could anyone explain what the artistic merit of these ugly pictures is? Please dont quote obscure reviews published in the Democratic Republic of Bananas about them. I mean, an erect penis near an ice-cream licking ugly woman, and a person jerking off. I mean, is everyone sure that this is not some sort of joke the artist in question is trying to play on us ? Does everyone honestly think that such pictures belong in an Arts Festival of a small island community which has an aim to attract whole families to visit it? Its one thing being against censorship, but then we cannot go to the other side and display such pictures everywhere and at all times. infact I think that the exhibition of such pictures would cause great harm to the antí-censorhip lobby as it would give the idea that all these anti-censorship people want is to display pornography. Oh...and bad pornography at that!

I was involved in the bringing of these 2 painting with Ms Jasmina Kotevska, we had showed them to the organisation of the Gozo Contemporary art Festival and there was no problem at all. Last Tuesday I receive a catastrophic phone call, being told we have big problem with the paintings. The person explained to me we either don't exhibit them or the whole festival would be banned. are we living in the middle ages or in a dictator country. So after I had a chat with Mr.Carmel Zammit from the Cittadella Art Centre, I was explained what had happened, someone saw them on internet, phoned the Ministry of Gozo and said how scandalised he/she was ( I believe it was none but the Bishop himself) and that the Ministry had to stop these from being exhibited. Than Ministry phoned the Roman Catholic hero's the Board For Censorship got involved , do these have a PH,D in art or something. Also why did they stop Agora from being showed I worked my ass for 7 months on it and this is the return I get. I still saw it on internet.

Why does not someone actually give full details of the bodies and the persons involved in this kind of censorship. Have these people not seen anything like this before. What is so pornographic with this image? But then if you have a warped mind moulded by years of Roman Catholic propaganda and misinformation everything and anything that has to do with sex is pornographic ... unless it leads to procreation, I imagine. I hope I will live to see the day when Roman Catholic arrogance in Malta is annihilated.

No doubt that the Local church is behind all this. It wants to keep the Maltese uncultured. It does NOT want the Maltese prople to broaden it's cultural horizons. The ONLY naked bodies allowed will be religious paintings (hypocrisy, anybody?) Next thing you know they will be asking for the stoning of adulteresses.

Bhalissa f'Malta hawn hafna taparsi censura biex jindiehsu ma' settur tal-votanti. It-tahrik ta' wiehed liebes ta' soru f'karnival, il-kittieb u min ippubblika 'Li tkisser sewwi', it-twaqqif ta' recta minhabba kliem, ... Dawn ovvjament ridikoli, l-iktar l-attakk kontra 'Li tkisser sewwi' imkesksa minn dik li hi l-ghola istituzzjoni ghall-edukazzjoni u wiehed jistenna, hlusija ta' l-espressjoni, l-Universita. Dil-ktiba, 'Li tkisser sewwi' fuq stil Jean Genet, tixli u timra socjeta marida. Izda issa li rajt dal-pitturi jien zgur ma ndendilhomx f'dari. Dan mhux ghax nghoddhom b'pornografija, izda ghax ghalija nghoddhom b'pornograija minghajr hjiel ta' arti u ghalija b'teknika baxxa hafna; biex nispjega x'nifhem b'pornografija u arti u jekk pornografija tista' qatt tkun arti intul wisq. Nghid izda, li jista' jkun li nithajjar indendel xoghol artistiku-pornografiku jew pornografiku-artistiku li fil fehema tieghi t-tnejn murija m'humiex