Leiden University Student Repository

Micajkov, Liona (2021)

'Cancelling Art' Online Criticism, Public Resistance and the Removal of Destroy My Face (2020)

Bachelor thesis | Kunstgeschiedenis (BA)

Destroy My Face (2020) by Erik Kessels was part of BredaPhoto festival in 2020 but the artwork was removed after a week of display. Online criticism had risen on multiple social media platforms stating that the work incited violence towards women. The activist group ‘We Are Not a Playground’ also published an open letter demanding that the work be taken down. These events were framed as an example of ‘cancel culture’: an online phenomenon where people are publicly shamed and silenced for crossing societal norms. In this thesis I investigate the events surrounding Destroy My Face in relation to destruction, censorship and ‘cancel culture.’ I argue that ‘cancel culture’ can function as a tool for resistance to the dominant narratives in society, especially for marginalized groups. However, it can fall into the trap of creating a mere spectacle to be consumed by the public instead of raising critiques.

cancel culture

online criticism

iconoclasm

resistance

spectacle

Author

Micajkov, Liona

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Arts, Media and Society

Supervisors

Lauritano, S.M.

ECTS Credits

10

Language

en