24 Nisan 2010 Cumartesi


Michael Dickinson is a British artist and the founder of the Istanbul Stuckists. He has lived in Turkey for over 20 years.

In June 2006 he displayed a collage Best in Show  showing the face of Turkish Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan, on a dog's body being given a rosette by President Bush. This was in an anti-war show organised by the Global Peace and Justice Coalition. Dickinson had work in the show and added this particular collage without the organisers' knowledge. The collage was seized by the police, and he was told he would be prosecuted.

In September 2006, he arrived at court in Istanbul and was informed he would not be prosecuted for lack of evidence, but that Erkan KayaIn of the Global Peace and Justice Coalition would be prosecuted. Outside the court he held up a similar collage, Good Boy , showing the face of the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip on a dog's body with a stars and stripes leash and nuclear missile tail. Dickinson was arrested and detained for 10 days in "horrific" conditions. He was informed he would be prosecuted for displaying this collage.

In October 2007 he arrived at court, and the case was adjourned so that the opinion of professors could be ascertained as to the worth of the collage.

On 24 March 2008, he appeared in court. The professors of art from Marmara university invited by the judge to give their evaluation as to whether it was art or insult didn't show up, so the trial was adjourned.

On 25 September 2008, he appeared in court again under article 125/3 "insulting the prime minister" with a possible two year jail sentence if convicted. He was acquitted of the charge.

In June 2009, the acquittal was overturned, and he fled to England, giving away all his possessions. Unable to find work, and refused Jobseekers Allowance, he returned to Turkey.

He was summoned to court again and the case adjourned.

27 January 2010, the judge in Kadiköy law court, Istanbul, said Dickinson was guilty of insulting the Turkish Prime Minister with the collage. When Dickinson said he would not pay any fine, though that could result in up to two years in prison, the judge delayed a final decision until a hearing at 2pm on 9 March 2010.

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