Algerian-French Artist’s Works Vandalised At Kochi Gallery Over 'Obscenity’

Last Updated:October 23, 2025, 19:31 IST

Artworks by Hanan Benammar were vandalised at Durbar Hall Art Gallery in Kochi.

The incident prompted the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi to announce legal action.

Artworks by Algerian-French artist Hanan Benammar, displayed at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery in Kochi, were allegedly vandalised by two artists who claimed the works were “obscene". The incident prompted the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi to announce legal action. According to officials, the alleged vandalism took place around 6:30 pm at the international exhibition Estranged Geographies, organised by the Lalithakala Akademi. The show, curated by Anushka Rajendran and Damian Christinger, opened on October 18 and is scheduled to run for a month.

Hanan Benammar’s seven linocut graphic prints were among the exhibits. As the gallery was closing, two individuals- identified as artists Hochimin P H and Sudamshu- allegedly tore down all seven prints. Only two people were reportedly present in the hall at the time.

Confirming the incident, Lalithakala Akademi chairperson Murali Cheeroth said the Akademi would file a police complaint against the perpetrators.

“This incident is an attack on artistic freedom and has outraged the art community in Kerala. The damaged works were part of a prestigious international exhibition supported by reputed cultural organisations and embassies," Murali Cheeroth said, adding, “There was no obscenity in the works, as alleged. Instead of raising concerns through dialogue, they resorted to vandalism. If the Akademi had intervened to censor the works, the same people would have accused us of curbing expression."

He added that the act appeared to be a deliberate attempt to “disrupt Kerala’s peaceful cultural landscape".

Who Is Hanan Benammar?

Hanan Benammar, who lives between Norway and France, “works conceptually between geopolitical, environmental, and societal issues," according to her website. Her projects often take the form of sound and video installations, performances, sculptures and public interventions. She is known for curating collaborative and long-term art projects.

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