Liverpool Biennial: artist Banu Cennetoğlu’s memorial to dead refugees daubed with graffiti in third instance of vandalism

The List by the Istanbul-based artist Banu Cennetoğlu, currently being shown at the Liverpool Biennial, has been vandalised for a third time.

The project which features the names of the 34,361 people who lost their lives trying to reach Europe since 1993 has been daubed with the graffiti: “INVADERS NOT REFUGEES!”

The installation, which consists of a 280 metre-long hoarding on the city’s Great George Street, has already been torn down twice since it was put up in July.

After the second time the artist and organisers of the biennial decided to leave it in its vandalised state “as a manifestation and reminder of systematic violence exercised against people.”

Those responsible for this defacement of a memorial to innocent dead people fleeing for their lives, have had their brains invaded by hatred. We will not be beaten by facist thugs and we will pay for another memorial. I want volunteers to help me protect it. #hopenothate? pic.twitter.com/DVA3Snt1bB

— Joe Anderson (@mayor_anderson) September 7, 2018

The latest attack on the work has prompted the mayor of Liverpool to state that those responsible “have had their brains invaded by hatred” and that the city “will not be beaten by fascist thugs”.

The List represents information that is compiled and updated each year by United for Intercultural Action, a European network of 550 anti-racist organisations in 48 countries. As an artist, Cennetoğlu facilitates the distribution of these names in an effort to highlight the plight of refugees worldwide.

On this year’s World Refugee Day on 20 June The List was distributed by The Guardian newspaper in print and online.

Images:
1. The List on Great George Street, Liverpool, in August 2018 after it was ripped down for a second time. Courtesy: Liverpool Biennial
2. The List on Great George Street, Liverpool, when it was first installed. Photo: Thierry Bal

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