French officials expressed outrage when antisemitic graffiti appeared on a sculpture in Versailles by Sir Anish Kapoor. Now the officials are facing damaging claims by Sir Anish that the neo-fascist slogans were put on with the help of palace staff.
Even a local councillor has backed the claim the graffiti was “an inside job”, but blamed it on the sculptor’s studio, claiming it was done to get publicity.
Officially called the Dirty Corner the 60m long steel and rock exhibit has widely known as the Queen’s Vagina after Sir Anish said it meant to symbolise “the vagina of the Queen taking power,” in reference to Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France.
The exhibit was vandalised four times last year. An investigation has been launched but no one is believed to have been arrested. While there is no evidence the château’s management were involved, it was that possible that vandals had inside accomplices.