Lloyd Alter
Corporate Responsibility
We reported earlier how the Canadian Government Tried To Silence Artist Franke James, who was taking her art show on a 20 city tour through Europe, only to face the wrath of the Canadian Government, which apparently doesn’t like her messages about climate change and the environment. Geoff Dembicki at the Tyee picks up the story, and reports that the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade denies it.Dembicki writes:
The federal Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), meanwhile, claimed James’ account “does not appear to be based on the facts” and denied any knowledge of meddling with her funding sources…..
“It is not the department’s practice to interfere with private sponsorships of Canadian artists abroad,” government spokesperson Jean-François Lacelle wrote in an email to The Tyee.
“We have no knowledge of the alleged telephone call between DFAIT officials and the unidentified private sponsor of Ms. James’ exhibition.”
But the Nektarina Non Profit running the show claims that there has been significant interference, posting on their website:
In the past few months we have encountered many difficulties in organizing the exhibitions, usually connected to interventions of the Canadian Government or institutions under Canadian governmental control. We continued to look for ways to collaborate with the home land of the artist, although at times we felt patronized and even intimidated, as a small NGO trying to reach an understanding with a powerful state.
(Source: www.treehugger.com )