After a year of postponement due to corona, the Dubai Expo 2020 world exhibition officially started in the United Arab Emirates this month. In the pavilions, all kinds of countries show what they have to offer. But the Italian pavilion showed a little too much, for the taste of the Emirati.
The Italian contribution is a copy of the David, Michelangelo’s famous sixteenth-century masterpiece, largely made with a 3D printer. But what the Italians did not take into account: the pubic part of the more than five meters high David is uncovered. A ‘detail’ in Italy, bitter seriousness in the conservative Emirates.
The Italians spoke of “a mistake”. As a solution, the noble parts of David are now shielded, by displaying the upper part of the statue for all to see, while the offending lower part can be seen one floor below. Unexpurgated – but only accessible to VIPs.
In Italy the reaction was outraged. They regard the expurgated version as scandalous self-censorship. Davide Rampello, the pavilion’s artistic director, denies that the change is related to the Emirates ban on “public nudity.” But an employee told the Italian newspaper: La Republica that it was indeed improvised. It had even been considered to put on the David underpants.
When in Dubai…