Art exhibit draws fire for depiction of Muslims

Arab men holding machine guns stand in front of an image of Osama Bin Laden as a plane soars above them, in a collage hanging in the Bernstein Gallery in the basement of Robertson Hall. This piece of artwork is part of a new and controversial exhibit, “As the World Turns Then & Now,” which has been on display since Jan. 23.

The exhibit has generated criticism for its depiction of Arabs and Muslims as violent aggressors. Members of the Arab Society of Princeton and other students have filed complaints with Wilson School Dean Christina Paxson, arguing that the exhibition portrays a politically polarized image of the Middle East.

A plaque in the exhibit explains that the Sept. 11 attacks inspired artist Rhonda Wall to create her series of collages. Her work attempts to “weave the chaotic destruction and visual beauty of the world into a tapestry of life and hope,” the plaque states. Wall did not respond to a request for comment Thursday evening.

Some students did not see the “hope” in Wall’s images.

“The ‘chaotic destruction’ images are obvious, such as a screaming Arab with a scimitar, or a child with an AK-47, but the ‘beauty’ seems less apparent to me,” Ben Woodman GS said in an e-mail.

Sami Yabroudi ’11, president of the Arab Society, and Sarah Mousa ’10, its former president, said in a joint e-mail that they thought the exhibit projected a biased message. Mousa is a former contributor to The Daily Princetonian.

“We found image after image of Arab men with bloodied swords, children with rocket launchers and physically mutilated and oppressed women in full burkas; all were interwoven with well-known Islamic imagery to unequivocally and rigidly equate the region, culture and religion with barbarity and violence,” they said, adding that, “the message, it turns out, is quite clear.”

“The Passover Massacre and the Pianist,” one piece in the exhibit, contrasts newspaper cutouts of Muslim suicide bombers with a picture of a Jewish man sitting in front of a piano.

Some students also expressed concern that the exhibition reflects negatively on the University.

“Several MPAs mentioned that they were embarrassed by having the exhibition up while we were hosting a lot of students from other universities for editing an academic journal,” Woodman said.

Other students said they viewed the exhibition as an attempt to foster communication.

Nour Aoude ’10, who is Lebanese, argued that “art should have a bit of room to be controversial.”

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He added that he thinks art should “shed light on controversial issues, calling people to dialogue.”

Aoude said he disagreed with those students seeking the removal of the exhibition.

“You can’t always seek institutional protection,” he said, adding that “some controversial subjects need to come out, and that’s how you get dialogue.”

Yaboudi and Mousa noted that “the ... question is not one of free speech, but whether the most frequented and prominent area of our school of international affairs should promote such a stunning dehumanization of the Middle East that justifies the targeting of Arabs and Muslims.”

They added that they are concerned by the potential consequences of violent portrayals of Arabs and Muslims.

“It is easy for those who organized this exhibit from safe and plush offices to cry freedom of speech, but this ‘artwork’ has disastrous consequences for the lives of many in the region,” they said.

Paxson said in an e-mail that she plans to meet with the roughly half-dozen students who have shared concerns about the exhibit within the next few weeks.

“Although the exhibits often provoke thoughtful debate and discussion, it is not certainly our intention to offend,” she explained.

A public artist reception is planned for March 26.