In Metz the celebrations in memory of the gay writer Koltès self-censor on his homosexuality
Article by Gwenaël André taken fromMisstep in the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the death of the original writer of Metz (France). Some references to his homosexuality were deleted in a commemorative installation.
A pink barbed wire draws the words "May God forgive me" on the pronaos of the Sainte-Thérèse church in Metz. The work, created by a Fine Arts student from the city, takes up a quote fromBernard-Marie Koltès.
This is one of the numerous initiatives carried out this autumn by the Metz Quai Est association, organizer of the 20th anniversary of the death of the famous writer, born in Metz in 1948, and died of AIDS in 1989.
Problem: under his devout appearance this quote is largely cut off! In fact, the complete sentence is a little tougher: Koltès wrote to a friend: "You would be happy here, Brazilians are very enterprising, what a nightmare, luckily they have brothers, may God forgive me."
The irony of the supplication is evidently no longer perceived on the Sainte-Thérèse pronaos of the Child Jesus. Not even if it is written with pink barbed wire.
A new installation
Couleurs Gaies, which is a GLBT association from Metz, recently revealed this indelicacy and gave the Fine Arts student, Mathieu Cailotto, the opportunity to install a new banner that fully reports the quote present in his initial project.
And to place the new work on the facade of the association's headquarters, in rue des Tanneurs, right in the center of the city.
A large cross wrapped in a pink scarf and which bears the writer's words on the applied plaque.
The managers of Quai Est, who worked in collaboration with the (socialist) municipality of Metz, defend themselves from the accusation of having wanted to carry out any censorship.
Assuring that the quote that appeared in the student's initial project was "a little too long" and that in any case "the diocesan council gave its approval only for the quote May God forgive me".
Would the "censorship" therefore come from the Catholic Church? It is not such a certain fact... Mathieu Cailotto states that "The Church was not aware of the content of the project when I received a response rejecting the quote in its entirety"
Self-censorship
At Quai Est, Jean Paul Anderbourg points out that "The pink barbed wire hanging above the pronaos of Sainte-Thérèse is already a lot!". It is true that the Bishop refused to let his façade wall serve as a support for another project that is part of the celebration of the Koltès year.
Mathieu Cailotto for his part sees in the episode "a manifestation of self-censorship born from the guilt aroused by religion when faced with the question of homosexuality".
The young man, who does not want to argue with Quai Est, believes that "the pink color present in Sainte-Thérèse refers us to homosexuality, and the huge cross on rue des Tanneurs to the Catholic religion.
The two works coexist to show a face of Koltès that allows us to understand many things in his plays and his writings."
Couleurs Gaies, for his part, assures that "Koltès' homosexuality is addressed in half words in the celebrations of this anniversary, it is unbelievable!". The organizers evidently have a different opinion.
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