Mayor apologises for mural in Melbourne after paintings attract criticism of anti-Semitism

 By Beth Gibson, Yara Murray-Atfield and staff

Posted Fri 17 Nov 2023 at 4:17pmFriday 17 Nov 2023 at 4:17pm, updated Fri 17 Nov 2023 at 5:00pm

Quick Read

• In short: The Mayor of Port Phillip says portraits for the "People of Balaclava" series have been interpreted as anti-Semitic and so will be painted over.
• What's next? The council says the mural will take more than a day to be completely removed.

A council in Melbourne's inner south-east will begin painting over a mural which has faced criticism for its resemblance to "highly offensive" anti-Semitic caricatures and tropes.

The paintings of faces — many with long noses — above a supermarket on Carlisle Street in Balaclava were completed in the past week.

They were painted as part of the Creative Graffiti Pilot Program, which is funded by the state government's Community Support Fund and run by six local councils in a bid to mitigate graffiti.

The Carlisle Street beautification project, which involves more than 20 properties, has been called "People of Balaclava".

The mural's creator Mic Porter is a well-known artist who previously painted along the St Kilda Lower Esplanade earlier in the year as part of a similar anti-graffiti project.

Liberal MP David Southwick, whose Caulfield electorate covers much of the Port Phillip Council area, said the most recent mural had "horrified" many residents.

"The first look at this mural, for me for and a number of constituents that have contacted me, is that it is highly offensive," Mr Southwick said.

Anti-Semitic caricatures of Jewish people, often with exaggerated noses, have long been used to spread anti-Jewish hate.

"It certainly reminds people horrifically of the horrors of the past and imagery like that that was used during Nazi Germany," Mr Southwick said.

"And I think, particularly when you've got Melbourne's largest Jewish community shopping … the last thing that they would want to do when they enter a supermarket is to see that kind of imagery on display."

The council says the murals will be removed following complaints from the community.( ABC News: Rudy De Santis )

Port Phillip Mayor Heather Cunsolo said the council had "received a large volume of community complaints regarding some portraits that form part of this series".

"We realise that regardless of the artist's intentions, the portraits have deeply upset and divided members of our community and for that we apologise," she said in a statement on Friday afternoon.

"When Council was first made aware that the artist's figures could be interpreted as Anti-Semitic, we reached out to several Jewish community leaders for advice.

"Whilst no concerns were raised, the current conflict has understandably heightened sensitivities and Council has no desire to add to the pain and distress many of our community are already feeling."

Cr Cunsolo said the removal would begin on Friday afternoon but it was expected it would take a few days to complete.

Lobby group says 'comically grotesque' images 'incredibly unfortunate'

Much of Porter's work features human faces with exaggerated and distorted features, often with gaping mouths and wrinkled and pockmarked skin.

According to a Port Phillip Council profile, Porter was selected to paint the St Kilda piece "for his aesthetic and style but also because of the respect his experience commands throughout the graffiti scene".

"Having looked at a number of the artist's works online, I can appreciate that this may be his style," said Zeddy Lawrence, the executive director of the Zionism Victoria lobby group.

"If that's the case, it's just incredibly unfortunate that his comically grotesque images which are redolent of monstrous anti-Semitic caricatures appear as street art in such a notable Jewish neighbourhood.

"Someone, somewhere may have made a very poor judgement call as to what would be appropriate to feature on the facades of Carlisle Street."

Councillor Marcus Pearl said the murals represented "a governance failure by council" and earlier wrote to the council CEO to request it be taken down.

"I sincerely apologise for the distress caused by these artworks to our community and such in that such incidences of divisiveness are unacceptable at this time," Cr Pearl said.

The ABC has attempted to contact Porter for comment.

cont;'d  

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-17/melbourne-mural-balaclava-antisemitism-resemblance-removal/103117724