"Ironic Ignorance vs Artistic Freedom: Weimer's War on Moral Guardians"
Culture Minister Weimer voicing concerns over alleged left-wing alarmism.
Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer boldly takes on self-appointed moral gatekeepers from both left and right. The removal of a nude Venus statue from a Berlin office, in his view, is "an act of culturally tone-deaf arrogance." This move, he argues, not only encroaches on artistic freedom but also belittles the viewer.
In an article for the "Süddeutsche Zeitung," Weimer slams the intolerant encroachment of the left, likening it to the ruthless cancel culture. The latest example, he claims, is the removal of the bronze Venus de' Medici statue from the Federal Office for Central Services and Open Property Matters (BADV) in Berlin. The tip to remove the statue, according to a "Bild" report, came from the office's equal opportunities officer.
"Jacobin-Echoing Purity Crusade"
Weimer criticizes the simplistic equation that female nudity is inherently sexist and has no place in public as a reflection of Jacobin iconoclasm. He described the modern version of this purity crusade as the "shitstorm," now a staple of radical feminist, postcolonial, eco-socialist indignation culture.
"The Shrinking Arena of Expression"
In a society dominated by leftist alarmism, Weimer opines, anticipatory obedience, patronization, and language guardianship become the last resort. He laments the narrow-minded cultural combat reflexes of the right and far-right extremists, using the example of a Florida teacher who was fired for showing her students Michelangelo's David without clothes.
"Both left and right extremists lack trust in the freedom of culture or the competence of the citizen to form their own judgment," Weimer wrote. He argued that when the arts are sanctified in the name of a new moral tyranny, not only are the artists censored, but the audience is also infantilized.
"Defending Artistic Freedom"
The liberal response, Weimer suggests, is not to exert political influence but to defend the freedom of art. "Widen the corridors of the sayable, explorable, and representable," he urges, "rather than narrowing them."
Weimer has previously expressed concern over the threat of a "global cultural war." This war is not just evident in neonationalist dictatorships like China or Russia, but also in the West.
Despite recent news coverage focusing on Weimer's proposals to impose a 10% tax on major digital platforms due to concerns about tax evasion, monopolistic practices, and the need for these companies to contribute more to local infrastructure and cultural initiatives, there is no publicly documented statement from Weimer regarding cultural censorship or art removal in response to accusations of misogyny in the current coverage.
The State Ministry for Culture and Media, under the leadership of Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer, has been critical of reactions and statements that encroach upon artistic freedom, labeling them as a form of cultural censorship. In the context of politics, Weimer has defended artistic freedom, urging for the widening of corridors for expression, rather than narrowing them. [politics, State Ministry for Culture and Media, reactions and statements]
Weimer's public discourse, as seen in articles such as his piece in the "Süddeutsche Zeitung," has been focused on the general-news topic of defending artistic freedom and combatting cultural censorship, both in Germany and the West at large. [politics, general-news]
