THE founder of a Bournemouth town centre art gallery has defended an installation of suicide vests following criticism by MP Tobias Ellwood.

Stuart Semple, who set up GIANT in Bobby's this summer, said the work by Jake and Dinos Chapman is "anti-terror and anti-war".

Calling for their removal, Mr Ellwood described the bronze-cast suicide vests as “tasteless and insensitive”.

The 'Monuments to Immortality' works are part of the Big Medicine exhibition, which has been on display since early August and is set to be taken down on Sunday, October 31, ahead of a new exhibition on nature.

Artist Mr Semple told the Daily Echo as far as he was aware Mr Ellwood had not been to the show and had not contacted the gallery prior to his comments calling for the works to be removed.

"Obviously we think it is really sad that he has lost his brother and terrorism is wrong and terrible but artists will make work about the world around them and it is important that they do," said Mr Semple.

"These are anti-terror and anti-war works. The idea we are showing them for controversy or shock value is completely wrong.

"I think we showed them with real dignity and really considered how we did it."

Mr Semple added: "It has been on for three months and quite honestly tens of thousands of people have been to the gallery and they have been quite moved by the pieces in good ways.

"I have met people who have personally lost people in the gallery and they have actually told me they really respect the work and they think they are important monuments and it is good the artists are raising awareness about global terrorism and they respected the works.

"It is strange because he clearly hasn't seen them because the last vest replaces the explosives with art materials, it has paint brushes and pens."

Bournemouth Echo: The vest which has explosives replcaed by paint brushes, pens and other art tools. Picture: GIANTThe vest which has explosives replcaed by paint brushes, pens and other art tools. Picture: GIANT

Bournemouth-born Mr Semple said the Chapman brothers previously made a documentary for the BBC where they looked at depictions of war in art.

He said they also helped found the Peace One Day charity, a non-profit organisation whose objective is to institutionalise the International Day of Peace.

"Their whole thing is anti-war. That is what they have done their whole lives," said Mr Semple.

"These are the last works they will ever make and they have dedicated them to victims of terror. It couldn't be more upside down.

"We have got the Tank Museum down the road. That has real weapons that really have killed people and it is the number one family day out in Dorset. It doesn't make sense."

"The Tate has the Chapmans' work 'Disasters of War', do they have to take it down? Where does it end?

"Does Picasso's Guernica get taken down from the UN? This is just odd."

Mr Semple said the MP's comments had created a "really sad" situation that could impact on GIANT going forward.

"Tobias has obviously witnessed terrorism a few times in his life now and it is really tragic what he has been through," he said.

"But that is all the more reason why artists should make work. It is times like these that we need artists to be making work."