Kochi Biennale venue shut after artwork depicting Christ’s ‘Last Supper’ triggers controversy

Members of the Youth Congress also held protest at the Kochi Biennale venue, opposing the artwork (Image: Facebook)

• Kochi Biennale venue shut after protests over artwork depicting an alternative interpretation of Jesus Christ’s 'The Last Supper'
• Christian groups demanded removal of painting, citing hurt religious sentiments
• Artist Tom Vattakuzhy defended his work, saying it reflects Christian values

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A venue of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale was temporarily shut following protests by Catholic and other Christian groups over an artwork offering a different depiction of Jesus Christ’s ‘The Last Supper’.

The controversy revolves around a painting by Kerala-based artist Tom Vattakuzhy, featured in the Biennale’s curated exhibition ‘Idam’, as per a report by India Today. According to Christian organisations, the artwork hurt religious sentiments and showed disrespect towards the traditional representation of Jesus Christ and the Last Supper.

The Kerala Latin Catholic Association was among the first to react, calling for the immediate removal of the artwork and seeking an apology within 24 hours. In a Facebook post, association secretary Biju Josey Karumanchery questioned the use of public funds for what he described as an insult to the Christian faith.

“Do not think you can show whatever you want in the name of freedom of expression using government money. Are you insulting us with the tax money we also pay? A world-famous mural painted by the world-famous painter Leonardo da Vinci was painted in this way,” he wrote.

Echoing similar concerns, the Syro-Malabar Church said that freedom of expression is fundamental to a democracy but should not be exercised in a manner that misrepresents or offends religious beliefs.

As per Biennale authorities, the venue was shut after the protests as a precautionary measure to avoid any law-and-order problems during the New Year period. “All venues are closed due to New Year restrictions and will reopen on January 2,” the India Today report quoted organisers.

Artist Tom Vattakuzhy, meanwhile, has rejected the allegations, saying the work is in no way opposed to Christianity. “It is by no means opposed to Christianity; on the contrary, it reflects the values of tenderness, compassion, and empathy that Christianity upholds. I have a sustained interest in art grounded in humanism, from Early Renaissance art through subsequent movements in art history. My Christian upbringing may have contributed to this orientation. I believe that a careful reading of each of my paintings reveals these underlying layers of humanism,” the artist was quoted in a report by The New Indian Express.

Members of the Youth Congress, meanwhile, also held protest at the Kochi Biennale venue, opposing the artwork.