UK TV Network Turns Destroying Works By ’Problematic Artists’ Into A Game Show

Historic paintings made by wrongdoers always seem to beg the question if they should continue to be viewed by the public—no less when Adolf Hitler himself was the artist in question. So what is the solution to this problem? Apparently, destroy it. 

Britain’s Channel 4 has never really held back from jumping into our wild and mysterious society. According to The Guardian, the network has a history of outrageous show concepts, such as premiering a live autopsy and giving people drugs on television to document their effects. Given that, Art Trouble with Jimmy Carr should not be any surprise as the channel is placing several tools in the host’s hands and letting him take a hammer to “problematic art.”

To kick the program off, the production team has procured a painting by Hitler that was sold to them by a “reputable auction house.” Staff have also purchased works by other artists including pedophile Rolf Harris, sexual abuser Eric Gill, and Pablo Picasso.

Art Trouble is set up like a typical game show, with Carr at its helm. Instead of trivia quizzes, the audience can decide whether a portrait deserves to be flamed (literally) due to the actions of its maker.

If viewers vote to save a piece of work—for example, the Hitler painting—Channel 4 tells The Guardian that the team will “appropriately” dispose of the picture. 

With such a controversial premise, the backlash was sure to come. In response to the news, a separate report by The Guardian states that the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust spoke about how placing Hitler’s work on a game show has turned his notoriety into “light entertainment.” In its criticism, the public compared the destruction of the art to Nazi book burnings.

As an extra twist to the story, Carr has previously been reprimanded by anti-hate groups for his comments against the Holocaust that he had made in a Netflix special.

While art made by wrongdoers is hard to look at, Dr Sam Rose from St Andrews College insightfully states that these pieces should not be destroyed solely because they give us a window into our history and humanity. Instead, they should be preserved for study and for future generations to reflect on.

The first episode was filmed on Wednesday, and it is unclear if the plug is being pulled on it yet. 

[via The Guardian and ARTnet News, cover photo 30965445 © Steve Allen | Dreamstime.com]