Katharsis, an annual festival in the Netherlands from promoter Reaktor Events, is under considerable fire for inappropriate images used in a promo video for this year’s festival.
The video, among other things, included depictions of victims of the 9/11 terror attacks falling from the Twin Towers. Unsurprisingly, the festival immediately faced backlash for its attempt to stir controversy. The video has since been removed by Facebook.
In a statement made to their Facebook page this morning, Katharsis explains that its motivation was to embody the Greek concept of “catharsis,” the festival’s namesake.
“Our videos sometimes deal with controversial themes with the intention to spark thought, emotion, debate and perspective, but explicitly never to support, mock or justify violence in any way,” they wrote.
Many other less offensive images (but still wholly offensive on a grand scale) of the terror attacks could have been used, but instead chose to depict imminent loss of life. It was a seriously misguided attempt to “express social criticism” and the festival is paying the price.
Read their full statement below.
We would like to clarify our motivations behind the video that was posted yesterday. Catharsis, as an ancient Greek…
Posted by Katharsis on Wednesday, June 14, 2017
via Techno Moves