Madrid art fair pulls Catalan 'political prisoners' installation by artist Santiago Sierra

An installation by a controversial Spanish artist which refers to Catalan separatist leaders as “political prisoners” was removed Wednesday from a major Madrid art fair at the request of the venue’s operator. The dispute over the work by Madrid-born artist Santiago Sierra, known for his provocative stunts, comes as tensions simmer between Spain’s central government in Madrid and pro-independence groups in Catalonia over their failed independence push. Titled “Political Prisoners in Contemporary Spain”, Sierra’s installation featured 24 pixelated photographs, including one of Catalonia’s ousted vice president Oriol Junqueras who has been in jail for the past three months over his government’s failed independence bid. The installation also included photos of the leaders of the two biggest grassroots pro-independence associations in Catalonia, Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez, who are also in jail on charges of rebellion and sedition. They are among several Catalan political leaders and a