STM won’t display Grands Ballets’ poster in métro
A poster promoting Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal’s season-opening performance has been banned from the city’s métro system.
The provocative image of dancer Vanesa Garcia-Ribala Montoya striking a pose, covered in blood with a nail through her foot, was chosen to advertise the company’s performance of Stabat Mater, set to a score by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi.
The poster has been refused on the grounds that it could incite violence, according to the Société de transports de Montréal (STM), which cites the blood and the spike through the foot as key factors.
That comes as a shock to incoming Grands Ballets artistic director Ivan Cavallari.
“It’s very hard to understand,” Cavallari said. “They speak of violence, but it’s not an image that evokes violence. If they think it’s violent, then what do they say about all the very pretty women in ads for lingerie, who are almost naked?
“We’re no longer scandalized about those kinds of things; but for something that may have religious connotations, that is an interpretation of (images of Jesus) that has been around for over 1,000 years — I don’t understand how in 2017 they can look at a photo like this and say it’s no good.”
Stabat Mater is Cavallari’s first show in his first season with Les Grands Ballets. He came up with the concept for the image and is surprised it is causing so much fuss.
“The idea came from the music by Pergolesi,” he said, “which represents the Virgin Mary suffering the loss of her son. That’s why I chose Vanessa, who is a first soloist with the company. She is a dancer of colour, so it’s an image that goes beyond race and everything linked to our human thought.
“There’s a grace in the photo, a lyricism and beauty. It’s for a show that presents two masterpieces: Stabat Mater, choreographed by
AT A GLANCE: Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal presents Stabat Mater, Oct. 11 to 28 at Théâtre Maisonneuve. For tickets and information, visit grandsballets.com
Edward Clug; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, choreographed by Uwe Scholz.”
The STM, in a statement, said the image does not conform to Canadian advertising norms, citing Article 14, which determines that advertisements must not “tolerate any form of discrimination;” “give the impression of exploiting, tolerating or inciting… violence;” “denigrate persons, groups;” or “undermine human dignity.”
The management of all advertising within the STM is subcontracted to Astral Affichache, which flagged the Grands Ballets poster to the STM. The STM then seconded Astral’s recommendation to withhold the ad. The STM has been a partner of Les Grands Ballets for more than eight years, and despite the current situation, Cavallari doesn’t expect that to change.
“This is not a vendetta against them or their rules, which I respect 100 per cent,” he said. “I would simply like to explain the photo and say, ‘I accept your opinion, but the photo doesn’t mean that. It means something else.’ ”