An oil by Håkon Gullvåg, depicting a bloodsplattered flag of Israel and a naked infant strapped to the front of a tank.
Norway’s MFA has helped artist Håkon Gullvåg’s exhibit his vehemently anti-Israeli art in Syria. Imagine if Israel’s MFA were to help an artist exhibit similarly hateful pieces – only targeting Norway – in Islamabad in Pakistan.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has helped Norwegian artist Håkon Gullvåg exhibit his anti-Israeli artistic propaganda (see above) in Syria. While it most definitely is Mr.Gullvåg’s right to produce such a piece as the above, it is questionable whether it should be the role of the Norwegian MFA to endorse and market it. Study the work above, and reflect over Norway’s role in promoting it.
Now look at the watercolor below, depicting the same scene as above, only using the Norwegian flag rather than the Israeli. Imagine that this was the work of an Israeli artist (It’s not). Imagine if this Israeli artist exhibited this work, and a gallery of other pieces like it, in Islamabad, Pakistan. Imagine if the Israeli embassy to Karachi assisted this Israeli artist in exhibiting it. Certainly, it would be within Israel’s full right to market its artists abroad. But would it be wise? Would it somehow help anyone? Or would it to the contrary incite Pakistanis against Norwegians and make the working conditions of Norwegian soldiers in Aghanistan more dangerous? One thing is for certain, most Norwegians would probably be furious with Israel if they behaved like Norway’s MFA, in endorsing Gullvåg’s exhibit in Syria.
It is of course highly unlikely that the Israeli MFA would sponsor, encourage or otherwise help any artist seeking to display anti-Norway pieces like the one below in Islamabad, Pakistan. Also, many people might object that the watercolor below has none of the evocative powers of Gullvåg’s oil above, and that since it doesn’t, the comparison between the two is uninteresting. This site quite agrees.
So let us develop the sketch below into an oil, and see if this helps people understand just how hateful Håkon Gullvåg’s art is, and how deeply inappropriate it is for the Norwegian MFA to publicly endorse him, not to speak of market him in Syria.
Imagine if Israel's MFA helped an Israeli artists exhibit pieces such as this in Islamabad, Pakistan
Dear website!
I am saying the following with the utmost importance and sincerity.
In a JPOST article today I learnt that this month a slew of Foreign Ministers arrive in Jerusalem for an official visit (among others, the Hungarian Foreign Minister as well – a centre-right wing government formed only this summer that tramples the Hungarian constitution with both legs and behaves fundamentaslly antidemocratic in nature I’m sorry to say; its attitude to Israel meanwhile is yet unknown). To my utter and total shock and disbelief Störe was among them. Now, could you somehow let the Israeli Foreign Ministry bureucrats know whom they are going to “deal with”? Is it possible for you to alert them of ALL the sordid affaires of the official Norwegian government in the past six months only? I am seriously asking this. Just drop a mail perhaps to http://www.mfa.gov.il?
If I as a Hungrian national were to do this, it’s unserious and irrelevant.
Sorry for giving unsolicited advice, I just though that you could help in this respect…
Yours Truely as ever,
Gábor Fränkl
Wow! Who did draw this (I mean, the supposed anti-Norwegian cartoon)?
Thank you Midtskogen:) You are too kind. That was just a quick sketch, took me a few minutes and I am an amateur. I do not think Gullvåg can have spent more than a few days on his pieces.
“Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has helped Norwegian While it most definitely is Mr.Gullvåg’s right to produce such a piece as the above, it is questionable whether it should be the role of the Norwegian MFA to endorse and market it.”
There must be some root cause, a shared interest, between the MFA and Syria’s regime. I won’t buy the excuse that this is encouraging artistic cooperation or inter cultural fertilization or what have you. The stench of unethical expediency is very present. It is the same stench that arose when Sarah Leah Whitson of Human Rights Watch went to Saudi Arabia to raise funds for its operations. She did not appeal to Saudis for funds based on Saudi human rights violations, which are plentiful and explicit. She based her appeal on her record as a major contributor to anti-Israel propaganda:
“Whitson’s appeal for Saudi support and money cited HRW’s anti-Israel focus extensively, including the claim: “Human Rights Watch provided the international community with evidence of Israel using white phosphorus and launching systematic destructive attacks on civilian targets.”
http://blog.ngo-monitor.org/other-ngos/human-rights-watch/hrw-goes-to-saudi-arabia-to-demonize-israel-and-raise-money/
It’s about Norway giving candy to the Syrians, that which they love to see, especially from Europeans. A dirty nudge/wink sort of camaraderie.