The Beyond exhibition by Yasmin Yussof and her daughter Izabella Yusoff-Guy opened in the Chamber Gallery in the Rangiora Library, on December 3, but was censored by the Waimakariri District Council three days later after complaints about it.
Council general manager of community and recreation Chris Brown says the complaints concerned ‘‘the general nature of the entire exhibition, but also specific pieces were identified as being particularly triggering’’.
One of the complainants said that the art work was ‘‘not at all appropriate to have in a library’’.
However, the art work has also received high praise in the visitors book at the gallery.
Eyrewell Forest artist Mandy Palmer says the exhibition is ‘‘absolutely stunning’’, and Woodend Beach artist Rachel Harrecalls it ‘‘deeply moving and profound’’.
Opinions about the censorship have also been recorded in the visitors book with one person saying: ‘‘It is sad to see art censored. If we don’t talk about things society has deemed to be shameful nothing will ever change.’’
Five exhibits of 35 in the exhibition have been covered and labelled with ‘‘censored’’ stickers.
Yasmin says the whole point of the exhibition was to raise awareness of the issues around mental illness and the censorship was unexpected.
The artists are hoping the exhibition will bring about a deeper level of understanding of the severity and impact of what people with mental illness may be dealing with.
The extra publicity the exhibition has received due to the censorship has raised its profile.
The artists are now hoping to interest the Christchurch Museum in holding a bigger, more interactive version of it. The exhibition closes on January 25.
The controversy surrounding the Beyond exhibition has prompted the council to formulate a policy regarding the display of art in council-owned spaces, such as the Chamber Gallery.
Staff have begun gathering information from other local authorities to help with that process.
By Shelley Topp
