VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Is it art — or is it blasphemy?
Austrians are locked in a nationwide debate touched off by the brief display in a prestigious Roman Catholic museum of an etching that depicts Jesus Christ and his disciples having an orgy during the biblical Last Supper.
A chastened and chagrined Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the top churchman in this largely conservative and overwhelmingly Catholic country, has ordered the offending artwork removed.
But the controversy rages on, with the Austrian media comparing it to the furor triggered by the Prophet Muhammad cartoons.
In some ways, it is proving as emotional as the political firestorm that occurred in New York in 1999, when then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was so offended by a portrait of the Virgin Mary adorned with elephant dung that he temporarily cut off funding to the Brooklyn Museum.
"I've even seen Web postings from extremists who have threatened to come to Vienna and blow up its museums with Molotov cocktails," exhibition curator Michael Kaufmann said Friday.
The dispute began on March 12 with the opening of "Religion, Flesh and Power," a collection of about 50 paintings, drawings and sculptures — some with homo-erotic themes — by Austrian artist Alfred Hrdlicka.
Among them is Hrdlicka's rendition of the Last Supper: a large, loosely rendered black and white etching that shows Jesus and his disciples engaging in sex acts on the table where they shared their final meal before Christ's crucifixion.
Hrdlicka, who turned 80 earlier this year, drew the scene in 1984 in tribute to Pier Paolo Pasolini, an Italian philosopher and award-winning filmmaker whose treatment of religious themes put him at odds with the Catholic church.
Angry faithful have been quarreling mainly about the venue: an Archdiocese of Vienna museum just across the cobblestones from St. Stephen's Cathedral — a grand church that was built in 1147 and serves as the epicenter of the capital.
"That such an exhibit is on display in a diocesan museum is unbelievable," said visitor Richard Lyon, of Glasgow, Scotland.
"I am deeply offended and profoundly disgusted," Lyon wrote in the museum's guest book. "Whatever led the directors and others responsible to think that our Lord could be represented in such a way?"
In a statement issued last week, Schoenborn — a staunchly conservative archbishop who was frequently mentioned as a potential successor to the late Pope John Paul II — sought to distance himself from the backlash.
"The exhibition does not mean that the cathedral museum identifies with all of Hrdlicka's works," Schoenborn said.
"Of course, I would not have agreed to the presentation of works which are blasphemous or pornographic. I therefore expressly regret that a picture of this kind — without my knowledge — was included in the exhibition. This picture, which is injurious to the faithful, was removed on my orders on March 20."
The etching has since been moved to the private Ernst Hilger Gallery, a short stroll from the cathedral museum, where the rest of Hrdlicka's works will remain on display through May 10.
No demonstrations have been held outside either venue.
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." Continue >>
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Alfred Hrdlicka is not an artist
He is a blasphemer and an old sodomist.
This is an instance where the humanist secular bad taste surface and their true sodomites support become apparent.
What a hypocrite this Kauffman queer for saying this geezer Hrdlicka is more Christian than many people who go to church each Sunday.
That is a blatant lie and both Kauffman and Boehler need to find new jobs, probably gay bartender suits them proper.
That is like hearing somebody said Usama bin Laden is a good Hindu and urging people to believe so.
I am a Christian and I am saying here loud and clear, homosexuality is a sin. See 1 Cor 6: 9-10
Humanist secular agnostic needs to stop pressuring people to say otherwise, and accept these lies and dishonesty
Shame of them for comparing Christian with Muslim jihadists who execute Theo van Gogh
Remember the weakness of these humanist secular when they saw that van Gogh was lying there bleeding and then the Moroccan jihadists proceed to slowly slit his throat, they are afraid to do anything or even to say something to the mufti of Holland. That is a sign of weakness.
They are even surprised when they hear the Moroccan jihadists said he is not at least sorry about it in court, even rejoicing it.
The Austrian media in comparing Christian to the jihadists show how ill-informed and uneducated they are about Christianity and the truth of the Gospel.
These secular humanists are nothing but lambs, and they are ready for Eurabia Caliphate.
Shame on all of them
Oh, yawn....this is more of the same old song....just different details.
Unfortuntely, there will always be individuals or groups that feel the insecent need to try and discredit and slander JESUS in sometimes utterly horrible and degrading ways. The biggest joke, in my opinion, are those "artists" who attempt to pass off their propaganda as innocent, legitimate artistic work....PLEASE!
"Among them is Hrdlicka's rendition of the Last Supper: a large, loosely rendered black and white etching that shows Jesus and his disciples engaging in sex acts on the table where they shared their final meal before Christ's crucifixion."
This blasphemy is nothing new. The pastor who debated Sally Kern in Oklahoma City recently, is part of the Cathedral of Hope (Dallas-OKC) which suggests on their website that Jesus had same sex relations. We all need to wake up and just call sin what it is.
I do not approve of the artwork anymore than the Catholic Cardinal who told them to take it down does. As a museum they put up artwork and this piece went beyond what they knew the Catholic hierarchy would approve of and the person put it up to start some controversy. Of course, I would not have agreed to the presentation of works which are blasphemous or pornographic. I therefore expressly regret that a picture of this kind — without my knowledge — was included in the exhibition. This picture, which is injurious to the faithful, was removed on my orders on March 20." They did it without his knowledge and it was taken down when he found out - what more could he do? Do you think the person who approved this picture still has a job?
Well, technically I guess you are correct, the intent was that the display is a "church" sponsored display: "Austrians are locked in a nationwide debate touched off by the brief display in a prestigious Roman Catholic museum", its a Roman Catholic "museum" not a church building - but nonetheless a church sanctioned event. (my comment's relevancy remains the same, what would a catholic priest/clergyman be thinking to allow such "art" in a "Roman Catholic" "museum"?
Please, you're playing with semantics? Are you a Catholic? If so, are you ok with this artist's work being displayed in a "Roman Catholic" Museum? Again, I have no problem with communist athiest's having their artwork displayed, my questions is the appropriateness of it being displayed in supposedly a church environment (be it a church museum or the church building itself."
Lastly, if you really do want to play with semantics, do you really think there are no priests on the board of directors of the museum? Who owns the museum?
exhibition curator Michael Kaufmann put the artwork up and the cardinal made him take it down...."my question is what made a Catholic priest think an atheist communist's artwork was suitable for his Church to display?" Do people seriously read these articles?? 1) it wasn't in a church it was in a museum 2) where do you get Catholic priest from the article? I know there is a lot of anti-Catholicism out there, but come on try to atleast have some facts correct.
""Like nearly no other artist, he is concerned about suffering and mistreated people ... and he expresses this in his work in a shocking way," the cardinal said. "He says of himself that he is a communist and an atheist, but he nevertheless has a burning interest in the Bible.""
I am also totally mystified by things non-Christians say, and even more mystified by Catholic positions sometimes. The guy is an atheistic communist - a combination responsible for more death and destruction in the last 100 years than any other exponentially. Why would a Catholic church entertain this artist in the first place for an exhibition. I don't deny his significance to Austria nor his right to prominently display his "art"; my question is what made a Catholic priest think an atheist communist's artwork was suitable for his Church to display?
But yes, it the Christian's the have caused all the problems in the world. Sometimes I wonder if I really understand what the New Testament defines as being a Christian - it certainly isn't even close to how most non-Christian's portray us.
What does an orgy have to do with being "concerned about suffering and mistreated people?" A self-described "communist and an atheist" is "more Christian than many people who go to church each Sunday?" If Hrdlicka really has a "burning interest" in the Bible he should read it.
I've got to say, I'm disgusted but not surprised at the etching. I'm disgusted AND surprised at the completely stupid comments being made.