LFI official criticizes mayor's changes to exhibition

An elected official from the LFI party criticized the mayor of Besançon, Ludovic Fagaut, for what she called an authoritarian shift in his team's approach. She accused him of "depolitizing art" by altering the title of an exhibition and removing elements she described as "perhaps too political," including the word "anarchism" from promotional materials.

Accusation of cancel culture

Aline Chassagne, supporting the LFI official, accused the mayor of practicing "cancel culture" by erasing a mural that criticized police violence and renaming an exhibition to remove content that displeased the administration. She pointed to a similar incident last September, when a mural by Nacle was removed despite being on a wall designated for free expression.

Exhibition title changed in Besançon

The exhibition Ni Dieu ni maître ! Art et anarchie, originally scheduled to run in Besançon from February 27 to July 4, 2027, will be renamed L'Art en liberté by the municipality. Aline Chassagne criticized this change, arguing that the reference to anarchism or libertarian themes would be deemed "too divisive" by the mayor.

Criticism of mayor's authority over art

Aline Chassagne stated that the mayor should not be the "conscience director" of Besançon residents and that the city's museum should not only showcase ideas aligned with the mayor’s political preferences. She emphasized the importance of maintaining the original title of the exhibition and ending political interference in artistic creation.

Exhibition retains original title elsewhere

While the exhibition will be renamed in Besançon, it will retain its original title Ni Dieu ni maître ! Arts et anarchie de Courbet à Banksy when it is displayed in Martigues and Roubaix. This means that Besançon residents will be the only ones to see the exhibition with its title altered.

Critique of depoliticizing art

The LFI official argued that by attempting to "free" art from political influence, the city is instead making it more political. She suggested that the mayor’s actions do not protect art but instead transform it into a political object, drawing attention to the irony of the city’s approach.