[Content note: racism, misogyny, female genital cutting, representations of violence against black women]
"The moment that cake was presented; the moment that cake was eaten; the moment that cake caused joy and excitement, re-opening the marvel that white Europeans felt at exploiting African women’s bodies—specifically, the sexualized celebration, the entrapment, the cutting of the genitalia of the Sara Baartman-like black body, the ethics of the artist comes into serious question, even if not the art itself, for the sake of 'art', for the sake of non-censorship. Racism was propped up in its ugliest form, facilitated by a Black artist and perpetuated on the representation of the body of a Black female."
--"An Open Letter from African women to the Minister of Culture: The Venus Hottentot Cake," posted at Black Feminists UK.
It is a thoroughly devastating response to defenses of the racist, misogynist, "Hottentot Venus"-style performance art staged by Afro-Swedish artist Makode Aj Linde and attended by Lena Adelsohn-Liljeroth, Sweden's Minister of Culture. You're encouraged to read the whole thing; it's extremely powerful.
