The criminal court of Pointe-à-Pitre acquitted on Thursday the Guadeloupean artist François Moulin, known as Blow, as well as two exhibition organizers prosecuted after the presentation of a painting depicting a head with the features ofEmmanuel MacronThe three defendants were on trial for "public and direct incitement, without effect, to commit a crime or an offense" following a complaint filed by the head of state.
The artwork, titled "Non-lieu" (Dismissal), depicted a Black man carrying the Guadeloupean flag and holding up a head reminiscent of that of the French president. The painting was exhibited in early 2025 in Pointe-à-Pitre in response to the dismissal of the case concerning chlordecone, a pesticide used for decades in Caribbean banana plantations despite its toxicity.
A case linked to the chlordecone scandal
The chlordecone issue remains extremely sensitive in the French West Indies. This pesticide was authorized in Guadeloupe and Martinique until 1993 under a special exemption, even though it was already banned elsewhere in France. After sixteen years of investigation, the case was dismissed in 2023, provoking widespread anger among victims and local associations.
The artist's lawyer, Patrice Tacita, hailed a "resounding victory" which he sees as an affirmation of the judiciary's independence in the face of a presidential complaint. Those defending the exhibition organizers also denounced a "prosecution from another century," arguing that the case raises questions about freedom of artistic expression in a context marked by the colonial legacy and the chlordecone health scandal.
Community
Comments
Comments are open, but protected against spam. Initial posts and comments containing links undergo manual review.
Be the first to comment on this article.