点评:I’m deeply disappointed by Annmarie Sculpture Garden’s handling of its recent MLK exhibition. An artist was formally accepted into the show honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., only to be told (after acceptance) that their work was deemed “too political” by someone on the final decision committee and therefore excluded.
This decision directly contradicts Dr. King’s own words and legacy. In Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. King warned about the “white moderate,” who prefers order over justice, comfort over truth, and who is “more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice.” To remove work aligned with Dr. King’s convictions in order to maintain comfort is precisely the behavior he cautioned against.
Dr. King’s work was political. His message challenged power, disrupted norms, and demanded moral courage. To invoke his name while censoring work that reflects those realities is not neutrality—it is hypocrisy.
Arts institutions have a responsibility to act with integrity, transparency, and courage, especially when honoring civil rights leaders. I hope Annmarie leadership reflects seriously on this decision and recommits to supporting artists whose work speaks truth, even when it is uncomfortable. If they don’t, please do not support this business, EVER
翻译:我对安玛丽雕塑花园近期举办的马丁·路德·金纪念展的处理方式深感失望。一位艺术家的作品被正式纳入纪念马丁·路德·金博士的展览,却在入选后被告知,最终评审委员会的某位成员认为其作品“过于政治化”,因此被排除在外。
这一决定直接违背了金博士的言论和遗志。在《伯明翰监狱来信》中,金博士警告人们要警惕“白人温和派”,他们更看重秩序而非正义,更注重安逸而非真理,并且“比起正义,更重视‘秩序’”。为了维护所谓的安逸而移除与金博士信念相符的作品,恰恰是他所告诫人们要避免的行为。
金博士的作品具有政治性。他的信息挑战权力,打破常规,并呼吁人们拥有道德勇气。一边援引他的名字,一边审查反映这些现实的作品,这并非中立——而是虚伪。
艺术机构有责任秉持诚信、透明和勇气行事,尤其是在纪念民权领袖时。我希望安玛丽的领导层认真反思这一决定,并重新致力于支持那些作品直指真相的艺术家,即使这些真相令人感到不适。如果他们做不到这一点,请永远不要支持这家机构。