A new art exhibition by New Orleans based artist Ti-Rock Moore has opened amid controversy at Chicago's Gallery Guichard.
"Confronting Truths: Wake Up!" features a life-size mannequin of Michael Brown lying face down, surrounded by evidence markers in an area cordoned off by police tape and traffic cones.
It's a scene based on his actual death, after he was shot at least six times by police officer Darren Wilson in the community of Ferguson.
On the nearest wall is a video of Eartha Kitt singing Angelitos Negros, a ballad protesting racial discrimination.
Michael Brown's father, Michael Brown Snr, said the exhibit should be taken down and expressed disgust at the showing of the work.
"I really really really would like them to take it away. I think it's really disturbing, disgusting. I keep the thought, that thought, that picture is still in my head," he said.
"I mean I have no problem with the person that created that but I think they should have reached out to both sides of the family. You know Leslie and I are not together we have our own separate families. I think they should have reached out to the father too."
According to the Guardian, African-American rights activist Johnetta Elizie said friends from Ferguson were angry the death of Brown was being used as art so soon after the tragedy.
"The artwork was atrocious," she said.
"The way she is using those images is just disgusting."
The exhibit will be open until August 10, the day after the one year anniversary of Brown's death.
Brown’s mother attended the opening night of the exhibition. The gallery fulfilled her request that the piece be covered on her visit because it would have been too painful for her to witness.
According to the Gallery Guichard website, Ti-Rock Moore said his work had been described as "courageous".
"Honestly and frankly, I explore white privilege through my acute awareness of the unearned advantage my white skin holds," he said.
