Video of Swedish politician Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth cutting a cake designed to look like an African tribal woman has caused fury among some who accuse her of committing a racially insensitive act.

Video of the 'racist cake' displayed at Stockholm's Modern Art Museum before minister Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth took a slice out of it

The culture minister took a slice from the cake – which doubled up as an art installation – at the 75th anniversary of the Swedish Artists Federation at the Modern Museum in Stockholm.

African-American Makode Aj Linde – who created the exhibit - had his head built into the cake in an attempt to call attention to the issue of female circumcision. He screamed “no, no” when Ms Liljeroth sliced a piece off. The inside of the cake was made of sponge coloured blood-red.

The Association for African Swedes, which promotes the rights of people of African origin, slammed the exhibit as a "tasteless, racist spectacle" and demanded that Ms Liljeroth resign.


Ms Liljeroth described the incident as a "bizarre situation”. She said: “I was invited to speak at World Art Day about the freedom of art and the right to be provocative, and then they asked me to cut up the cake.

“I had no chance to inspect the cake beforehand ... If some people have been offended, I apologise. Then it's up to the artist to explain what he meant with his work.”

Artist Linde said he wanted to highlight that female circumcision is still a big problem in some parts of Africa and claimed the message behind the cake had been misunderstood.

He told Al Jazeera the theme of female genital mutilation was “quite natural, as you would have to cut it up”.

He added: "I think the people who have been upset misunderstood the intention or the agenda of me as an artist."