The museum hosts photographer Yu Huiping’s exhibition This Is Africa featuring photos that compare African people with animals.
Photo: JloRocz/Twitter.
Scandalous photos at the exhibit seemed to compare the continent’s people with animals, which provoked criticism and accusations of racism from visitors. The exhibition This Is Africa featuring 150 photographs by Yu Huiping has been on view at the Hubei Provincial Museum since September 28.
“To show our goodwill and sincerity, we have replaced the photos that our African friends find shocking,” Wang Yuejun told Agence France Presse. He noted the photos were meant to show “harmony between man and animal in Africa”. Yu Huiping is a member of the Hubei Photographers Association. He has visited Africa 20 times over the past decades.
Visitors took a video of the scandalous photos:
Wang told the New York Times the decision was difficult and only the offending photographs were removed: “In Chinese proverbs, animals are always used for admiration and compliment.” He noted that as exhibition’s target was a Chinese audience, they didn’t see racism or disrespect in the works.
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