The Nice artist, known for his punch actions, said he wanted “shame to change camp”. The town hall has since removed the bunk face.
The Anonymous Nice artist “Toolate”, accustomed to punch and media actions on the French Riviera, is again talking about him after superimposing the face of Gisèle Pelicot on that of Gérard Depardieu, who is represented on a fresco at the entrance to the city of Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes). He explains that he acted during the night “So that shame change camp”. “Let’s celebrate the real heroines of our society and relegate the attackers to silence”he justified himself in a press release sent to the press in reference to the victim of the Mazan rape affair which has become a symbol of the fight against violence against women.
Actor Gérard Depardieu (76) is continued for sexual assault. On March 27, after four days of trial, 18 months suspended prison sentence and 20,000 euros fine were required against him. The Paris court will render its judgment on May 13.
This fresco, devoted to cinema in Cannes, is on the Place du 18 June, at the crossroads of several very busy paths including Boulevard Carnot and avenue Saïd-Boualem. She highlights several personalities of the seventh art, such as Alain Delon with Claudia Cardinale, Alfred Hitchcock and therefore Gérard Depardieu in his costume of Monte Cristo, at the top of the steps of the Palais des Festivals.
Fight “far from being finished”
The municipality indicates that it has removed the face bunk by the artist and did not wish to make more comments. “”It was predictable and it is revealing ”reacted the artist, adding that it proves that “The fight is far from over”. The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival should open in just over a month (May 13 to 25). In recent years, controversies on alleged sexual assaults in the world of cinema have regularly invited themselves to the red carpet of the Croisette.
Whoever makes himself known on social networks under the pseudonym of Toolet (“too late” in French, editor’s note), is not at his first action targeting Gérard Depardieu. In January 2024, he had made believe that he had surrounded the artist’s imprints, posed in Cannes, from red brick walls with barbed wire, adding the mention “Broadcasts in prison, not in exhibition”. But it was a montage since these fingerprints had been removed during work at the Palais des Congrès.
“I invite our dear president to dishonor Gérard Depardieu on the networks”continued the artist his collage on the fresco. “I still hope that the municipality takes advantage of this intervention to ask real questions”he added.