Thursday, 5 December 2013

Jesus Riot

A naked man lies on the floor and rubs himself against Jesus. Or more precisely: a figure of Jesus.

We're in an art gallery, not a church, but the sight is perturbing.

"When I walked into the cathedral in Warsaw", says artist Jacek Markiewicz, "I was shocked to see all these people kneeling in front of a chiselled mock-God. In my piece I wanted to insult that which isn't God."

The Adoration, 1993



Unsurprisingly, Poland's arch-Catholics did not quite understand the artist's subtle intentions. On the penultimate day of the Britsh British Polish Polish show, a man smuggled in eggs filled with paint, and threw them onto the wall where "Adoration" was being projected. 

'Adoration' under attack 

This being Europe, not Russia, it was the attacker and not the artist, who was arrested. I agree. Though I cannot help but feel like the result, remniscent of Nikki de Saint Phalle's shooting paintings , is worthy of some adoration. 

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