Introduction: On Enacting the Fear of Art

Abstract

Session I of the “Fear of Art" conference focused on what was already known as "the Charlie Hebdo massacre," which took place just weeks before the conference itself when two brothers, self-identified as belonging to an Islamist terrorist group, forced their way into the offices of the French satirical weekly, killed 11 cartoonists and staff members, injured 11 others, and gave rise to rallies across France with millions of demonstrators chanting "Je suis Charlie" ("I am Charlie") in support of the remaining staff, which has continued to publish. The panelists included Ben Katchor, the cartoonist and New School faculty member; Nikahang Kowser, the Iranian cartoonist who had served time in an Iranian prison and described himself as "Muslim lite"--since he drinks, eats bacon and is a nonpracticing Muslim; Alexandra Zsigmond, deputy art director of the New York Times opinion pages; and Saadia Toor, a sociologist and anthropologist.