Street artist James Colomina unveiled a sculpture on Friday, November 1, in Toulouse denouncing the sexual violence of which Abbé Pierre, who died in 2007, was recently accused by several women.
In a white color contrasting with the usual red resin used by the artist, the work represents the man of the church on a metal mortuary cart, a sheet covering his body and suggesting an erection.
“This installation (…) reminds us that even after death, the injuries and trauma caused by these acts continue to permeate the collective memory, haunting the victims and the whole of society,” decrypts James Colomina with AFP.
“He is dead, but the problem remains there”he asserts, evoking the silence which has long allowed accusations against the founder of Emmaüs to be passed over in silence, “this completely ambivalent character, who did a lot of good and a lot of harm”and the lack of transparency of the Catholic institution in this matter.
The sculpture is exhibited in the deconsecrated Gesù church, in the city center of Toulouse, and accompanied by religious songs in Latin. The exhibition is open to the public for two days only, until Saturday, between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Iconic figure in France and founder of Emmaüs, Abbé Pierre, whose real name is Henri Grouès, has been the target of a series of testimonies from women on sexual violence committed between the 1950s and the 2000s since July. and for some that may amount to rape or target minors.
James Colomina, who describes himself as “committed artist”regularly denounces current events, such as when he installed on children's playgrounds in Paris, New York and London, a sculpture of Russian President Vladimir Putin sitting astride a miniature tank, after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
During the Paris Olympic Games, he successively pointed out through artistic installations the banning of athletes forced to compete under a neutral flag, and the investments “excessive” agreed to clean up the Seine, not very effective according to him.
