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A French art college has apologised after a photograph of white students was digitally manipulated to make some look black in an attempt to broaden the college’s appeal in the US.
Former students at the private Émile Cohl art school in Lyon flagged up on social media that a picture taken of a group visit to a gallery had been doctored on a promotional website for the college targeting the US.
In the original picture, all the students were white.
In the promotional material, three students’ faces had been darkened and two other people of colour had been added to the picture, among other manipulation.
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After people on social media criticised the use of photo manipulation instead of just giving college places to black students, the school apologised and said it had been unaware of the manipulation, which it said was carried out by a communications agency in the US.
Antoine Rivière, the college director, told L’Express he was only made aware of the altered photo when he was contacted by some fifth-year students who appeared in it.
“We had sent a certain number of documents to an American communications agency in order to highlight our college,” he said. One of the photographs sent had been doctored without the school’s knowledge.
The school immediately ordered the page to be taken down and apology letters were sent out to students and parents.
“This is the opposite of what Émile Cohl represents,” Mr Rivière added.
The school is planning to open a branch in the US in the near future. – Guardian