Muhammad as Roundabout Dog by Lars Vilks
Remember back in the summer of 2007 when a Swedish newspaper published Lars Vilks's cartoon of the prophet Muhammad as a dog and it turned into an international incident, with Vilks in fear for his life? I am not proud to confess that I succumbed to self-censorship at the time and never published the story (actually I succumbed to my Mom who didn't want a Fatwa on my head). Well since that time there have been arrests this March of seven people in Ireland, and Colleen LaRose aka "Jihad Jane" in Pennsylvania, all of whom were plotting to assassinate the artist. Vilks seemed undaunted by the plots, telling Swedish newspaper The Local, "I have prepared in different ways and I have an axe here in case someone should manage to get in through the window."
Then, this week, Vilks was giving a speech at Uppsala University in Sweden on the topic of free speech. And guess what he did? He showed a film of naked gay men wearing masks representing the prophet Muhammad. Almoste immediately he was attacked by three Muslims -- two men and a woman shouting "God is great" in Arabic. Vilks was escorted out of the hall, and aside from his glasses being broken by knocking into one of the guards, he was unharmed. The assailants were wrestled to the floor and pepper spray was used on the crowd. Here is the video. You can see a brief glimpse of the naked Muhammads at the beginning...
BTW, the "Roundabout Dog" of the cartoon is a reference to a guerrilla art movement that began in Sweden in the Fall of 2006 when dog sculptures began appearing as art installations at roundabouts throughout Sweden. The movement has since spread throughout Europe. Here are some examples from the excellent website rondellhund.se that catalogs the Roundabout Dogs and pinpoints them on an interactive map. Most of the artists remain anonymous...
Also, I didn't realize that Lars Vilks is the same artist who built the controversial wooden sculptures on public land in Sweden and then declared the site its own miconation named Ladonia.
Nimis on Ladonia
The sculptures, constructed with driftwood and not marked on any map, have become both a tourist attraction and the center of a long legal battle between Vilks and the Swedish government. Several years ago I saw a documentary about Ladonia and remember thinking about Vilks, "That guy is intense." I had no idea.
Visit Lars Vilks's website here. It hasn't been updated since April 2008 and it's not as inflammatory as you might expect. But he is a fascinating artist, especially if you're into high stakes and drama. Developing...
