6 months ago
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The Syro-Malabar Church successful Kerala has condemned the alleged misrepresentation of ‘The Last Supper’ masterpiece painted by Leonardo da Vinci successful an artwork displayed astatine the ongoing Kochi Muziris Biennale successful Kochi.
The enactment successful question is simply a coating by creator Tom Vattakuzhy displayed arsenic portion of the ‘Edam’ accumulation astatine the Garden Convention Centre, Bazar Road. The venue was unopen down temporarily connected Tuesday (December 30, 2025) pursuing protests by assorted groups.
Tom Vattakuzhy | Photo Credit: 1001
In a statement, the Syro-Malabar Church alleged that the artwork distorted the Last Supper scene. The artwork was withdrawn aft it was published successful a mag successful December 2016 aft protests by devotees. “We uncertainty whether it was displayed astatine the biennale intentionally to wounded the sentiments of the believers,” it alleged.
The Church stated that “freedom of look remains captious to immoderate antiauthoritarian society. But it does not licence anyone to misrepresent spiritual beliefs,” it said.
The State portion of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Minority Morcha demanded ineligible enactment against the alleged misrepresentation of the Last Supper successful the artwork. Sumit George, its president, alleged that “such incorrect portrayals of spiritual content cannot beryllium accepted successful the sanction of creator freedom.”
Carefully curated: Kochi Biennale Foundation
In a communication, the Kochi Biennale Foundation pointed retired that the assemblage of enactment presented astatine ‘Edam’ from Tom Vattakuzhy’s extended signifier consists chiefly of communicative paintings and illustrations. Many of these works person antecedently been published successful well-known Malayalam publications specified arsenic Manorama and Bhashaposhini, among others. The enactment connected show has been cautiously curated from hundreds of paintings and drawings created by the creator implicit respective decades arsenic portion of his ongoing practice, it said.
K. M. Madhusudhanan, and Aishwarya Suresh, curators of the exhibition, said the works are intended to beryllium viewed arsenic portion of a broader sermon connected storytelling, illustration, history, and ocular expression. “In this context, we question the enactment of the authorities successful addressing immoderate sermon oregon objections that whitethorn originate from individuals oregon institutions during the people of the exhibition,” they said.
The Kochi Biennale Foundation does not judge that the artwork successful question warrants removal. Taking down the enactment would magnitude to restricting creator look and could beryllium perceived arsenic an enactment of censorship, which is contrary to the principles of creator state and taste dialog that the accumulation seeks to uphold, according to the connection quoting Bose Krishnamachari, president of the Kochi Muziris Biennale.
