Outrage Over Last Supper Orgy Image Rattles Vienna Museum
A Catholic Church-affiliated museum in Vienna was shaken up this week by a controversy that erupted over the display of an unconventional rendering of Jesus and his disciples sharing the Last Supper -- and then some -- in an exhibit called "Religion, Flesh and Power."
A Catholic Church-affiliated museum in Vienna was shaken up this week by a controversy that erupted over the display of an unconventional rendering of Jesus and his disciples sharing the Last Supper — and then some — in an exhibit called “Religion, Flesh and Power.” The etching, by Austrian artist Alfred Hrdlicka, depicts Jesus and his faithful followers engaging in sex acts, an interpretation that has proved highly unpopular in some circles.
Your support matters…AP via Breitbart.com:
Bernhard Boehler, director of the cathedral museum, said earlier this week he was “surprised at the heat of the battle” over the orgy drawing.
“In Austria, no special reason is required for a church museum to dedicate an exhibition to the most important living sculptor,” Boehler said. But he said the museum decided to remove the offending work “out of consideration for the religious feelings of some Christians.”
“The protests came primarily out of fundamentalist Christian circles in the USA and Germany,” he said, referring to various Web sites.
“There is a long dialogue between art and the church,” Boehler added. “For the church, the quality is decisive — not the piety of the artwork.”
Independent journalism is under threat and overshadowed by heavily funded mainstream media.
You can help level the playing field. Become a member.
Your tax-deductible contribution keeps us digging beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that unearths what's really happening- without compromise.
Give today to support our courageous, independent journalists.
Arts & Culture
Visual investigations at the intersection of climate change and global migration.
Editorial Cartoons
Though diversity is a driving ethos of this year's event in Los Angeles, the art world is still deeply invested in sidelining people of color.
Artists who tell the truth are the mortal enemies of despots, who seek to distort the past, the present and the future.
Artists, activists and museum staff launched protests after learning that chemicals made by Warren Kanders’ company were used on migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
The tangible effects of political concerns, ranging from mass displacement to climate change, are unavoidable at the 58th Venice Biennale.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.