A feminist art exhibition titled 'Cyprine Benzin' at the NegPos art and photography centre in Nîmes, France, was vandalized during the night of 25–26 April. One or more intruders destroyed over 30 of the 40 works on view, spray-painting phalluses and sexual imagery on the walls. The exhibition, by artist Kamille Lévêque Jégo, celebrated women’s pride and empowerment and had opened on 11 April. It was the second attack on the gallery, following a prior break-in that damaged one work. The centre’s director, Patrice Loubon, described the attack as part of a 'masculinist backlash,' and three professional photography networks condemned a 'growing climate of intolerance against female photographers.'
The attack matters because it highlights a rising trend of far-right and conservative backlash against feminist and inclusive art in France, echoing a previous protest against an exhibition on immigrant women at the Basilique Cathédrale Saint-Denis. The vandalism not only silenced a powerful artistic statement but also raised concerns about the safety of artists and cultural institutions addressing gender and social issues. Despite the destruction, the artist and gallery director are determined to restage the exhibition, underscoring the resilience of feminist art in the face of intimidation.