|
|
||
|
October 27,
2022 - Droog Magazine periodical for investigative
journalism The deceit by Jimmy Carr and Channel 4 How the deceit became world news Dutch version (upcoming) | 
Why did it become world news? Because one of the works was allegedly made by Adolf Hitler - and spectacular news surrounding Hitler always becomes world news. Also because it was precisely the Nazis who destroyed works of art they didn't like. And also because of Jimmy Carr's own "problematic artistry", because - by way of sick joke or meant - he called the mass murder of Roma and Sinti a positive aspect of the Holocaust. The sharpest criticism came from journalist and anti-Semitism campaigner Jonathan Sacerdoti, who in a LBC-radio interview labelled the Channel 4 programme an "extremely sick piece of entertainment television." And said, "This is not a debate about freedom of speech, this is desperate attention-seeking."
All the pre-broadcast commotion, however,
largely ignored the fact that virtually all the
paintings and drawings attributed to Hitler that
have appeared on the market since 1945 are fake -
they are forgeries (imitations of authentic works)
or fakes (resembling the real objects in nothing). To top of page. Unanswered questions before the
broadcast
That changed during the broadcast. The
"Hitler" that Jimmy Carr presented to the audience
for review with the words, "If you want to save the
Hitler, move to the right - that's to the far
right", was immediately recognised by your reporter
as a fake.
Left:
the "Hitler" in the Channel 4
show, 2022. Right: The "Hitler"
auctioned in Spain, 2015. It's
clearly the same work; colour
differences are caused by the
television camera and subsequent
photographing of the tv screen.
Click to enlarge.
The auction houses and the hired expert That brings us to the auction houses that deal in "Hitlers" and trade somewhere between 50 and 200 pieces annually worldwide (note: Hitler in all likelihood made at most 150 watercolours in his entire life). These companies all have this kind of clause in their terms of sale: "Neither the sellers nor the auctioneers are responsible for the authenticity, attribution, genuineness, origin, authorship, date, age, period, condition or quality of any lot. All statements, whether made orally or included in a catalogue, advertising material, or made in any manner with respect to such items, are opinions only and should not be construed as firm statements or facts." In other words, even the guarantee to the door is missing. And what about the art expert hired by
Channel 4, who had purchased the works featured in
this show? In the credits, only British artist Mark Farid was named as "art
consultant". We asked him if he was the buyer or
knew who it was: he refused to answer that and
referred to Channel 4's press officer.
Besides the Hitler, the fate of artworks by
other "problematic" artists was also judged. Such as
an African mask art-based vase-like object "by"
Pablo Picasso. Picasso was said to be "problematic"
because of his dealings with women. A bust made by
Rachel Dolizal, a white lady who claims to be black.
A work by British sculptor Eric Gill (1882-1940), a
man who indulged his daughters. A racist cartoon
from the American Civil War. Were these authentic
works? Given the purchase of the fake Hitler, that
is highly questionable. But real or not: the Picasso
vase was allowed to remain.
Regardless of whether the works presented
are authentic or not, the whole concept of this TV
show is nonsensical. Hitler was not an artist: he
never created independent, autonomous works of art,
only copies. And he did so long before he became a
politician. Picasso and Gill, however, were artists.
And regardless of what else they did: it is
nonsensical to equate their works and their private
lives. The futility of destroying fakes And even more senseless is to destroy works
of art, real or fake. We need not discuss the
absurdity of destroying unique works of art any
further, but we do need to discuss the idiocy of
making fakes disappear forever.
The past has shown that shady auction houses manage to make world news time and again by coming up with spectacular news about alleged "Hitler" objects. These companies do not do this lightly: they know that international press agencies uncritically copy their press releases in order to produce news items that are bought and further disseminated by the media worldwide: because Hitler sells. Thus, these auction houses do not need to advertise, because the media provide free publicity, which means that both buyers and sellers (i.e. also forgers) know where to go. So there is every reason for journalists to wonder about every spectacular "Hitler" report, book or TV programme. The same goes for spectacular news about other historical personalities with high market value. Think of what happened around "The Betrayal of Anne Frank" - with that scandal, too, the media initially uncritically echoed the press releases of rogue TV producers and mega-profit-seeking publishers. With both Hitler and Anne Frank,
nonsensical "news" led to outrage, anger and grief
among the relatives of the victims of the Nazi
regime. Which was not only responsible for the
genocide of Jews, Roma and Sinti, but also unleashed
World War II - a war in which tens of millions died,
worldwide.
The silence of Channel 4 and Jimmy Carr To top of page.
World news: how the
media reported about this case Nadia Khomami. Backlash against C4 show that may destroy works by Hitler and Picasso. The Guardian, London, 13-10-2022. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/oct/13/channel-4-art-trouble-jimmy-carr-destroy-works-hitler-picasso-backlashBen Bloch. 'Utterly sick' Channel 4 plans to potentially destroy Hitler art slammed. The Jewish Chronicle, London, 13-10-2022. https://www.thejc.com/news/news/utterly-sick-channel-4-plans-to-potentially-destroy-hitler-art-slammed-5hI0I7W59sAxhtBzEdG8TDaisy Stephens. 'Like
book
burning': Row over Channel 4 plans to buy
Hitler's painting and have Jimmy Carr destroy
it. LBC, 13-10-2022. Frieze London:
Flashback To A Quaint Bygone Era – Hitler
Painting To BeDestroyed On Channel 4 – Give The
Parthenon Marbles Back – Lord Vaizey. Artlyst,
13-10-2022. Editors.
Channel 4 criticised for Jimmy Carr show
involving Hitler painting. BBC, London,
14-10-2022. Lola
Talik.
Une toile peinte par Adolf Hitler sera
peut-ętre détruite ŕ l'issue d'un débat
télévisé. Geo, Gennevilliers (France)
14-10-2022.
Christian Edwards.
A UK TV station bought a painting by Hitler. A
studio audience will vote on whether to destroy it.
CNN, Atlanta, 14-10-2022. Czinkóczi Sándor.
Csak azért vett egy Hitler-festményt a Channel 4,
hogy Jimmy Carr szétzúzhassa. 444, Budapest,
14-10-2022. ČTK. Britská
televize koupila Hitlerův obraz, diváci rozhodnou o
jeho zničení. iDNES.cz, Praha, 14-10-2022. Skandalshow in
Großbritannien: Wird hier Hitlers Kunst
zerstört?. RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland,
15-10-2022. [Editor]. Irish examiner view:
Channel 4 Hitler prank not terribly funny. Irish
Examiner, Blackpool (Cork), 15-10-2022 Hitler tablosunun
'izleyici oylarıyla' yakılabileceği programa tepki.
Gazete Duvar, Istanbul, 17-10-2022. Ellen Maerevoet.
Felle kritiek op Britse tv-show waarin publiek
beslist of schilderij van Hitler vernietigd wordt of
niet. VRT NWS, Brussel, 17-10-2022. SSM. Britse tv-show zwaar onder vuur: publiek mag kiezen of kunst van Hitler vernietigd wordt of niet. HLN, Antwerpen, 17-10-2022. https://www.hln.be/tv/britse-tv-show-zwaar-onder-vuur-publiek-mag-kiezen-of-kunst-van-hitler-vernietigd-wordt-of-niet~a4d8a8c5/Max de Moor. ‘Moet
dit
schilderij van Hitler vernietigd worden? Aan u
de keuze’. De Standaard, Brussel,
17-10-2022 Adam Fineberg. Tasteless
Hitler painting show will be Channel 4’s
downfall. The Guardian, London,
18-10-2022. [Editors]. Те
купиха картина на Хитлер и сега питат зрителите си
дали Джими Кар да я унищожи. Webcafe, София (Sofia,
Bulgaria), 19-10-2022. Amanda
Capuano.
O programa de TV polęmico que vai destruir
obras de Hitler e Picasso. Veja, Săo
Paulo
(Brazil), 19-10-2022. Renato
Baretić. Kad se politička
korektnost pretopi u jeftinu banalnost: Što
je zajedničko klincima koji juhom prskaju
Van Gogha i komičaru koji spaljuje Hitlerovu
sliku? T-Portal, Zagreb (Croatia),
22-10-2022. Sammy
Gecsoyler. TV tonight: Jimmy Carr's
controversial art destruction show.The Guardian, London, 25-10-2022. Ruth Lawes. Jimmy
Carr Destroys Art introduced with trigger
warning after Adolf Hitler painting
controversy. Metro, London,
25-10-2022. Louis
Stilton. Jimmy
Carr
Destroys Art may be the stupidest take on
‘cancel culture’ yet. The Independent,
London, 26-10-2022. Adam
Miller.
How Channel 4's Jimmy Carr Hitler stunt
provoked a backlash. The Herald,
Glasgow, 26-10-2022. Alexander
Adams. Jimmy Carr Destroys Art review | 'A
wretched viewing experience'. Why Now,
London, 26-10-2022. Cathal
Ryan. Jimmy Carr destroys piece of Hitler's
art in controversial new TV show. Buzz,
Dublin, 26-10-2022. Chris
Edwards. ‘Jimmy Carr Destroys Art’ enrages Channel 4
viewers:
“What kind of moronic mind commissioned this?”
Paintings by Adolf
Hitler and Rolf Harris were featured on the show. NME,
26-10-2022 [€]
Ben Lawrence. How TV has abandoned true
culture. The Telegraph, London,
27-10-2022. Dan Einav. Jimmy Carr Destroys Art, Channel 4 review - grim and unedifying. Financial Times, London, 27-10-2022. https://www.ft.com/content/d282060b-723c-4904-a23e-ea2ac7b62e87 Jonathan Sacerdoti. Hitler painting shredded by Jimmy Carr 'was a fake' says art expert. The Jewish Chronicle, London, 27-10-2022. https://www.thejc.com/news/news/hitler-painting-shredded-by-jimmy-carr-'was-a-fake'-says-art-expert-3UXpLvc0eazkeZm42Elh9T © Bart FM Droog, 2022. Screenshots by Jonathan Sacerdoti. To top of page. |
||
| |
||
| |
