Just Art or Extremely Offensive? ‘Painful Cake’ Shows Screaming African Woman Being Cut & Eaten At World Art Day in Sweden
I know that art pushes boundaries, but when I first saw a performance art piece by black Swedish artist Makode Linde, I didn’t know what to think.
The art piece—a cake, shaped to look like “stereotypical African” woman with extremely dark, blue-black skin, “tribal” face paintings, dreadlocks, and neck-stretching rings—was on display in Sweden for World Art Day.
On the surface, the piece, dubbed the “Painful Cake” (the actual name seems to be “Clitoridectomy Cake“) could have been just a well-made sculpture of a tribal African woman made of cake. But what made the piece truly disturbing was the fact that as it was being cut (and eaten), the artist (whose face was painted to match the body) screamed in pain at every slice.
(Warning: the video might be disturbing to some)
It was such a macabre scene that I just couldn’t quite wrap my head around it. Add to it the fact that Sweden’s Minister of Culture, Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth–who has taken a hard line against racism in the country—was seen cutting into the cake with glee just blew me away.
Although many may brush this off as just a controversial piece of art, the fact that historically black bodies, and in particular black female bodies, have been dissected, disregarded, and put on display made me feel less like I was looking at a work of art, and more like I was watching Sarah Baartman being sliced to pieces.
What do you think of the ‘Painful Cake’? Is it offensive or just art?
*Photo via friatider.se
Is anyone else disturbed at the white faces smiling with glee? I think that the metaphor is black pain versus white joy…I just can’t..
That was my initial thought…
I agree with you. These laughing white people don’t look like they care about female mutilation. They all seem to be enjoying the festivities. Ask a female who has been mutilated if she thinks elite white people eating a cake brings about awareness to the problem. This is really sad. I can’t think of words that express how hopeless this makes me feel.
black pain equal white joy………
Performance art is as much performance as it is art. I get what the artist was trying to communicate (or, at least I THINK I get it). The piece definitely speaks volumes about the denigration and mutilation of black female bodies.
White people standing around laughing and taking pictures while a black body is being sliced apart. I wonder if the white people who were laughing and taking pictures even understood how they were playing right into the intentions of the artist–by not even recognizing that what they were doing was wrong or even mildly inappropriate, the Swedish people and their actions were a perfect illustration of the detachment and insensitivity that white people have historically had towards the denigration of black people.
im think ur comment is on point with what the artist is trying to point out.
its not always about blk ppl seeing something that brings up culturally horrible memories and getting angry, first take a moment to step back and try to see if there is more than meets the eye.
Your point makes too much sense, Jamila.
The exhibit’s intention is at the expense of those spectators and their gut reactions to said piece.
It also makes me think of the Partitioning of Africa.
Very well-stated…
right on!
Well said Jamila.
*winks*
Wow. So well stated. It’s poignant and effective. I actually think it’s quite brilliant.
WTF…What the hell? What a stupid,insensitive way to bring awareness to female genital mutilation. They made it seem like such fun “lets cut the african woman”. And the artist, how disgusting.
seriously wtfff
it looks to me more like he’s making fun of african women, and what they go thruough in female circumcision. it seems to me that he hates black women and that’s why he made that – just listen to that insincere sounding “crying” he pretends to do, it sounds more like mocking to me.
and don’t get it twisted. the artist in the awful Black face makeup making a mockery of black women who havebeen raped or mutilated is a Black man from Sweden.
I also don’t see the co-relation between this artist and Female Genital Mutilation, myself.
FGM is something that went on, goes on within the sub culture. White people aren’t lining up to do this to women. This is something that goes on from within.
So, is this to bring awareness to the act itself? if so, how is getting the audience to participate, with the end game being a slice of delicious cake, showing this?
it is not at all about FGM. it is deeper than that. homie is a trickster.
@James
James, don’t you have male friends? Because for a dude (I REFUSE to call you a man) who’s dayum near 60 you STAY on a site for young black women. I’m serious. You need to go to the meetup site, or the barber shop, or SOMEWHERE other than constantly harrassing black women on the internet. Spend some time at the weight room or on the golf course because you sincerely need to be around male company right now, I’d say even more than even the most single chick who reads this mag.
@anon
I can’t see any harm in what james is saying, first off, because he is agreeing with me. on pg 1 there was a lot of talk of FGM which I tried to take into consideration but could not see it, no matter how I spun it.
So it’s not about FGM
its about black pain and white joy.
That’s obvious in the photo op. My issue is, the attendees don’t get it. If I’m gonna show you some sh!t, you are gonna see it. point blank period. there will be no “trickery”
that’s bullsh1t.
Get REAL! even for arts sake.
I don’t have the words…Cake is joy and sweetness. They derive that by causing an African woman pain? Sick.