KOCHI: A week after Christian organisations protested against an artwork alleging misrepresentation of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, the artist has withdrawn the painting from the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.
The Garden Convention Centre, one of the Biennale venues, which was shut on December 30 following the controversy, has now reopened after the artwork was removed.
In a press release, the Kochi Biennale Foundation said the venue, which hosts Edam, an exhibition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, was closed in compliance with directions from authorities after petitions were filed over a particular artwork. It said a meeting chaired by the Sub Collector was later held to discuss the issue.
“Following this, the curator of Edam and the artist concerned have decided to withdraw the painting from the exhibition respecting public sentiments and in the interest of the common good. The Kochi Biennale Foundation, which has always stood for artistic and curatorial freedom, respects their decision. Accordingly, the work will no longer be on display at the venue, which has now been reopened to the public,” the statement said.
According to the curators, the artwork by Tom Vattakuzhy was based on a theatrical adaptation of a story titled Mridvangi’s Tragic Death. They said the exhibition description clearly mentioned that the work was created in response to a story by C Gopan.
“The artwork depicts Mata Hari, a historically documented figure and a convicted spy, in the moments preceding her execution by the French Army,” the curators said, adding that it was not intended as a reference to The Last Supper.
KMB president Bose Krishnamachari said the foundation was mindful of religious sensitivities and believed that constructive dialogue was the appropriate way forward.
Responding to the controversy earlier, Vattakuzhy said the artwork was not 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,” he said.