Controversy Over 'Blasphemy' With Explicit Expression
Intruder Damages Artwork at Dawn... Ultimately Removed
A sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary in agony giving birth, which sparked controversy over 'blasphemy,' was vandalized by an assailant just one day after being exhibited in an Austrian cathedral.
On the 3rd (local time), foreign media including The Washington Post (WP) reported that on the 1st, the Virgin Mary Cathedral in Linz, Austria, removed the sculpture titled 'Enthronement' created by contemporary artist Ester Strauss. The artwork was displayed inside the cathedral the day before its removal, but in the early hours of the following day, intruders broke into the cathedral and severely damaged the statue of the Virgin Mary. It was reported that the assailants cut off the head of the statue.
The pre-damage appearance of the work "Enthronement," depicting the birth scene of the Virgin Mary[Image source=Website of Linz Virgin Mary Cathedral, Austria, Yonhap News]
The piece depicted the Virgin Mary sitting on a rock giving birth to Jesus. However, its portrayal was significantly different from traditional religious art, sparking debate. Generally, the Virgin Mary in artworks is shown as beautiful, noble, and sacred. In contrast, this sculpture portrayed the Virgin Mary with a red skirt pulled back, sitting with legs spread openly, enduring the pains of childbirth. Her facial expression was contorted with intense labor pains, much like any woman in such a situation. Furthermore, the sculpture did not idealize the Virgin Mary's body but represented her with a protruding belly and thick legs, similar to a real pregnant woman. For these reasons, some Catholic groups had expressed dissatisfaction with the piece even before its exhibition.
It received even greater criticism because the exhibition space was a cathedral. The artwork was not part of a permanent exhibition but was intended to be displayed only during a special exhibition focusing on the roles of women and families and gender equality. An online petition demanding the removal of the piece, claiming it was blasphemous, was also launched. More than 12,000 people signed the petition.
The face of the Virgin Mary in the artwork 'Jeugwi' [Image source= Website of the Virgin Mary Church in Linz, Austria, Yonhap News]
Following the vandalism, the Linz Diocese, responsible for the cathedral, issued a statement. The diocese said, "We knew that exhibiting this piece would cause controversy," and added, "While we regret if the artwork hurt the faith of some believers, we strongly condemn acts that attack artistic freedom and vandalize artworks."
Ester Strauss, the female artist who conceived the piece, stated, "The image of the Virgin Mary has mostly been created by men and trapped within the confines of a patriarchal system," and claimed, "In my work, the Virgin Mary has reclaimed her own body." Teresa Limburger, who sculpted the piece based on Strauss's concept, said, "We expected controversy, but never imagined the artwork would be destroyed."
Linz, with a population of about 210,000, is the capital of Upper Austria located in the northern part of Austria and is the third-largest city in the country.
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