Security guards halt performance of Luxembourg artist in Düsseldorf

Luxembourg artist Deborah de Robertis was stopped by security guards during an unauthorised performance at an art exhibition in Germany over the weekend, the artist and organisers told the Luxembourg Times.

The performance, titled “this is not rape”, is a reenactment of “an abuse incident” between de Robertis and a curator, the artist said. “The [curator] role is played by the artist Marcus Kreiss, transformed using special effects, and hired by de Robertis to perform a live digital penetration.”

On Saturday at the NRW-Forum SEX NOW exhibition in the German city of Düsseldorf, de Robertis’ performance “was violently interrupted by security guards, who covered the stage with sheets to shield it from public view”, she said in a statement.

“The performance in question took place without prior coordination with the NRW-Forum,” the exhibition centre said in a statement. “It occurred in the public entrance area, which is accessible to all visitors, including children and families.”

“In light of the location, the lack of communication, and our responsibility as a public institution to provide a safe and appropriate environment for all visitors, museum staff intervened and brought the performance to a close,” it continued.

De Robertis also said that the performance was “staged in Düsseldorf without authorization at the NRW-Forum SEX NOW exhibition”.

“This is censorship that is both violent and deliberate. In an exhibition saturated with explicit sexuality, this humiliation is unacceptable,” she said.

De Robertis also said the police were called during the performance, and the artists have received a summons to appear in court. She did not say which court she would appear in and when.

This is not the first time the Luxembourg artist has made the headlines with her art. During a 2014 performance at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, as part of her Mémoire de l’origine project, the artist sat in front of Gustave Courbet’s painting L’Origine du monde with her legs spread and her abdomen bare, presenting her vulva to museum visitors.