A series of blown-up portraits of straight and gay couples kissing has been vandalized in the western town of Royan in Charente-Maritime.

The portraits, taken by artist Thibault Stipal, show topless people with varying skin colours, sexual preferences, and ages sharing kisses. They were erected near a children's park and were slashed up over the weekend.

The artist has now taken to his Facebook page to share images of the damage, telling his fans the act left him "saddened" - but explained that it's not all been negative reviews.

"Some people have written love messages on the photos and others have cut it with knives," he told The Local on Wednesday.

And he suspects that it was the images of same-sex kissers that riled the vandals.

"Maybe French romance is a heterosexual concept because people here have got a real problem with gays I think," he added.

"People who disagree with my exhibition tell that it's because it was installed in a park where children play but it's hypocrisy. There's nothing shocking in my project, it's simply photos of people kissing."

Royan's deputy mayor Didier Quentin told BFMTV that the "foolish act of intolerance" mean art would not reappear this summer, as the costs of reproducing the work and the risk of repeat attacks were too high.

bbabo.Net