Baltic child picture is seized by police

Sep 26 2007 by Paul Loraine, The Journal

POLICE and gallery bosses refused last night to identify the artist whose work is at the centre of a child porn probe.

A picture was seized from the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead on Thursday after officers were called in by managers.

Police and museum bosses yesterday refused to reveal which artwork is at the centre of the enquiry but they have confirmed it is a picture of a child.

It is understood the picture in question was taken on Thursday, the day before five exhibitions opened at the Baltic.

And speculation was rife yesterday about what the image may contain.

A source said: “The police investigation centres on a photograph of a little girl which is inside a book.

“It wasn’t actually going to be displayed but was part of the wider body of work in the exhibition.

“The managers were concerned about it and called the police in to ask their advice.”

The gallery refused to name the artist involved yesterday, while Baltic director Peter Doroshenko referred enquiries to Northumbria Police.

The image was being examined by lawyers from the Crown Prosecution Service to see if it breached the 1978 Protection of Children Act.

A police spokeswoman said: “The circumstances around who may have been involved in the production of the image and who may have owned it or owns it forms part of the investigation.”

She added: “We attended the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead last Thursday at the invitation of the management who were seeking advice about an item for an exhibition prior to it going on public display.

“This item is being assessed and Northumbria Police, in consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service is investigating the circumstances surrounding it.”

Five exhibitions were due to open at the centre the day after police were called, and are now on show to the public.

They include Irrespectiv by South African artist Kendell Geers.

According to the Baltic’s website, the collection, his first major UK solo exhibition, “pushes the limits of accepted moral codes and principles in order to collapse them and start again”.

Square Dreams by Kader Attia also opened last Friday, and is said to explore identity conflict along with “questions of community, diversity, belonging and exile”.

Newcastle-born art collector Anita Zabludowicz also has a major collection on display.

It features work from an international collection of emerging and established artists.

Ahead of Sunday’s Great North Run, About Running by English artist Suky Best is part of the race’s cultural programme.

The final exhibition is by American artist Nan Goldin.

Her Thanksgiving exhibit includes work from the Sir Elton John Photography Collection.

It is an installation of photographs documenting the artist’s own life from 1973 to 1999.