Bastien Vivès today responded to the cancellation of his Angoulême International Comics Festival exhibition. The Festival cancelled the event yesterday citing threats of violence towards Vivès, the Festival organising team, and visitors.
In a post on his Instagram this afternoon, Vivès condemned the “glorification” of paedophilia, rape culture and sexual violence; reiterated his diverse catalogue of work; and pointed out that the particularly controversial works are released shrink-wrapped and with warning labels.
[Translated via DeepL]:
“I condemn paedophilia and its glorification and trivialization. I condemn rape culture and violence against women. I wish to express my sincere solidarity with the victims of incest and any other sexual abuse. Under no circumstances should my books be read in the light of complacency towards these crimes.
“My work is varied. For those who have never read me, most of my books are about the birth of love and desire. This is the subject that inspires me the most. My four so-called “pornographic books” are sold in bookstores in blister packs, with a warning and a ban on those under 18. They are part of a humorous burlesque genre.”
Vivès particularly goes in depth regarding his poor behaviour online – which the festival yesterday commented on in their cancellation statement.
From yesterday’s Festival statement:
“Bastien Vivès has made various comments – spread out over the years – which may seem to some people to be very shocking and/or inappropriate: the Festival was not initially aware of many of them. In view of the situation, it is up to the author to explain, in the manner he deems appropriate, their meaning, their reason for being and to specify the circumstances in which they were expressed.”
His Instagram post particularly mentions an episode where he reportedly trolled fellow artist Emma, and – more recently – when he earlier this year released a bad-taste cartoon featuring lesbians which he removed following online backlash.
Vives:
“My presence on social networks has often been childish. Sometimes I used it as a vent. I sincerely regret some of my comments, and especially those against the artist Emma posted on my Facebook wall to which I want to apologize. It was gratuitously violent, disrespectful and above all unworthy. I left Facebook and Twitter some time later.
“More recently, one of my posts on Instagram provoked reactions that I did not want. I took responsibility for it by deleting it and apologizing.”
The fiftieth annual Angoulême Festival takes place January 26 to 29, 2023.
The DeepL translated Instagram post in full:
“I condemn paedophilia and its glorification and trivialization. I condemn rape culture and violence against women. I wish to express my sincere solidarity with the victims of incest and any other sexual abuse. Under no circumstances should my books be read in the light of complacency towards these crimes.
“My work is varied. For those who have never read me, most of my books are about the birth of love and desire. This is the subject that inspires me the most. My four so-called “pornographic books” are sold in bookstores in blister packs, with a warning and a ban on those under 18. They are part of a humorous burlesque genre. This provocative style, I have sometimes used it again, in an awkward way, in my interviews. People sometimes say of me that I am unfiltered, but at no time did I want to hurt victims of sexual crimes and abuse. And I obviously want to apologize to these people if my words may have hurt them.
“My presence on social networks has often been childish. Sometimes I used it as a vent. I sincerely regret some of my comments, and especially those against the artist Emma posted on my Facebook wall to which I want to apologize. It was gratuitously violent, disrespectful and above all unworthy. I left Facebook and Twitter some time later.
“More recently, one of my posts on Instagram provoked reactions that I did not want. I took responsibility for it by deleting it and apologizing.
“The Angoulême exhibition did not involve these controversial subjects, which in no way define the entirety of my work. Everything had been thought and weighed taking into account the constraints of an event like the International Comics Festival.
“Today I realize that beyond my works, it is especially my words that have shocked, I will now take the greatest care when I express myself in public or in the media.
“Bastien Vives”
