The Copenhagen gallery that will display works from controversial Swedish artist Dan Park later this month was vandalized in the early morning hours of Friday. 

 

On Friday morning, police were not yet ready to say if the vandalism of Hornsleth & Friends Gallery, which consisted of paint bombs and a smashed window, was related to the upcoming exhibition. 

 

“We are right now trying to find out who is behind this. No one has taken responsibility for it and we don’t have any witnesses at this point to help us along,” a Copenhagen Police spokesperson told BT.

 

The spokesperson added that police were “aware of the fact that there could be a connection” to the upcoming exhibition. 

 

See also: Is art the ultimate refuge of racism in Denmark?

 

Earlier this month, Danish artist Kristian von Hornsleth announced that he would display nine artworks that landed Park in jail and were ordered destroyed by a Swedish court. The display is being organized by the Danish Free Press Society (Trykkefrihedsselskabet).

 

Hornsleth’s plans came after a Danish radio station gave up on its efforts to display Park’s works. 

 

The nine disputed Park pieces are also being sold online from Denmark by the Free Speech Library, whose CEO, Lars Hedegaard, told The Local in an interview that he felt there was an “international obligation to defend artists, journalists and authors”.

 

See also: The seller of ‘Sweden’s most dangerous art’ speaks out

 

Park’s artwork and the decision of a Malmö court to jail him on racism charges has created plenty of controversy in Denmark. 

 

Copenhagen’s deputy mayor for cultural affairs, Carl Christian Ebbesen of the Danish People’s Party, wanted to display Park’s banned works in Copenhagen’s City Hall building. Ebbesen, however, was recently voted down by his colleagues on the city council. 

 

Park was convicted by a Malmö court in August on charges of inciting racial agitation and defamation and was sentenced to six months in jail. However, he was recently released from jail on appeal. 

 

Park’s works include an image that depicts three Swedish residents with African backgrounds portrayed with nooses around their necks, a Catholic bishop receiving fellatio from a young boy and Jesus having sex with Muhammad. 

 

The public display of ‘Sweden’s most dangerous art’ will be held at the Hornsleth & Friends Gallery in Copenhagen from October 23-31.