The Hornsleth Village Project was a controversial
conceptual art
Conceptual art, also referred to as conceptualism, is art in which the concept(s) or idea(s) involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic, technical, and material concerns. Some works of conceptual art, sometimes called inst ...
project by
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
artist
Kristian von Hornsleth
Kristian von Hornsleth (born 1963) is a Danish conceptual art
Conceptual art, also referred to as conceptualism, is art in which the concept(s) or idea(s) involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic, technical, and materi ...
in which he went to the
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The south ...
n village of Buteyongera and paid impoverished villagers to legally change their names to "Hornsleth". In exchange for consenting to have "Hornsleth" added to their identity documents, the villagers were given livestock. The project began in June 2006; in October 2006,
Kampala
Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and ...
officials put a stop to the project, citing ethical reasons.
By that time, 270 newly renamed Hornsleths had each received a pig, and another 70 had each received a goat.
Hornsleth, who said that he would like it if the village's name were eventually changed as well, described it as a straightforward business transaction, wherein he paid the villagers to participate in his project and pose for photographs.
The Ugandan Minister of Ethics,
James Nsaba Buturo
James Nsaba Buturo is a Ugandan politician. He was the Minister of State for Ethics & Integrity in the Office of the Vice President in the Cabinet of Uganda from 1 June 2006 until his resignation on 15 March 2011. In the cabinet reshuffle of 27 ...
, criticized Hornsleth as being a cult leader,
[The Hornsleths of Uganda]
by Lars Eriksen, at ''the Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
''; published November 17, 2006; retrieved October 12, 2014 obscene, mentally deranged, evil,
[Hornsleth Satanic, Says Minister Buturo.]
by Steven Candia, from AllAfrica.com
AllAfrica is a website that aggregates news produced primarily on the African continent about all areas of African life, politics, issues and culture. It is available in both English and French and produced by AllAfrica Global Media, which has of ...
(archived at HighBeam Research
HighBeam Research was a paid search engine and full text online archive owned by Gale, a subsidiary of Cengage, for thousands of newspapers, magazines, academic journals, newswires, trade magazines, and encyclopedias in English. It was headq ...
); published October 26, 2006; retrieved October 12, 2014 racist, and a homosexual,
[ and the project as demeaning, and stated that official diplomatic measures would be taken.Hornsleth show angers govt]
at New Vision
The ''New Vision'' is a Ugandan English-language newspaper published daily in print form and online.
Overview
''New Vision'' is one of two main national English-language newspapers in Uganda, the other being the '' Daily Monitor''. It is publ ...
, November 15, 2006 Nsaba Buturo also protested against Hornsleth's use of the Ugandan national flag and the
crested crane
The grey crowned crane (''Balearica regulorum''), also known as the African crowned crane, golden crested crane, golden crowned crane, East African crane, East African crowned crane, African crane, Eastern crowned crane, Kavirondo crane, South ...
(Uganda's national bird) on the invitation cards to Hornsleth's photo exhibition in Copenhagen, entitled "We Can Help You, But We Want To Own You".
By June 2008, "most" of the residents of Buteyongera had gone back to their original names,
[Memories of Hornsleth Still Abound in Buteyongera Village]
by Hellen Ntegyereize, at Uganda Radio Network; published June 26, 2008; retrieved November 16, 2017 and by 2012, Hornsleth was cited by Ugandan law enforcement as an example of "foreign nationals" who have "ulterior, selfish motives".
[ Suspicious alien arrested in Nakasongola Barracks]
by Benon Tugumisirize, at ''The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper Sunday editions, published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group, Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. ...
''; published August 19, 2012; retrieved November 16, 2017
References
{{reflist
External links
Hornsleth Village Project- official site, includes photographs of newly renamed Hornsleths with identity documents.
2006 establishments in Uganda
Conceptual art