Police pull offensive video art off display
The arrest of a manager in charge of an Athens art exhibition yesterday, for video footage that was deemed to be offensive to the nation, has sparked debate over the supervisory role of authorities in the art world. Michalis Argyrou, the general manager of Helexpo in Maroussi, northern Athens, was arrested yesterday after police received a complaint about the offensive nature of video footage included in the exhibition. The video, prepared by artist Eva Stefani, was described by authorities as showing «indecent footage,» with the Greek national anthem playing in the background, according to the Athens News Agency. The video was confiscated and police are searching for the artist. Culture Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis responded to the news by saying that the video is not in line with his taste but refrained from taking a position on the issue.
