Nikos Papadopoulos Detained and Released
Athen’s National Gallery (Alexander Soutsos Museum) saw an incident where a far-right member of the Niki party, Nikos Papadopoulos was arrested. Greek authorities detained him after he vandalised artworks at the gallery. As reported by Ekathimerini, he had been released on March 10. The gallery remains closed for the time being.
Damaged Artworks
Nikos Papadopoulos stands accused of damaging four pieces by artist Christoforos Katsadiotis. Out of the four, three reinterpret religious imagery. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Papadopoulos expressed dissent, criticizing the artworks, stating that he sought to remove “four sacrilegious images” when he took them down and discarded them. He insisted that he did not commit any acts of vandalism. His lawyers claim that he was “unlawfully detained.” Papadopoulos asserted that two of the pieces “slipped” from his grasp while he was attempting to take them down, resulting in damage to their frames.
He previously argued that Katsadiotis’s work was offensive to religion, sparking debate within Greece. On X, he expressed that Katsadiotis “desecrates our Virgin Mary, the Mother of us all, her only begotten son Jesus Christ, as well as the Saints of our Church.”
The vandalised artworks were part of Christoforos Katsadiotis’s exhibition, The Allure of the Bizarre, which centres on Francisco Goya’s Caprichos prints and how they inspired other artists to engage with religion in unconventional and often satirical manners.
The Controversy Thickens
Greece’s Orthodox Church followed suit to Nikos Papadopoulos’s claims, criticizing Katsadiotis’s work. The Holy Synod issued a statement, expressing regret over the paintings’ content. They even warned of “appropriate action” regarding the exhibition of these works.
For this act of vandalism, Papadopoulos faced repercussions in the Greek Parliament. The Speaker of Parliament, Nikitas Kaklamanis, announced that Nikos Papadopoulos will be censured, in addition to a 50% reduction in his salary for one month.
Support for Katsadiotis
When asked about the religious subject matter, Christoforos Katsadiotis said, “It is worth considering how society (politics) uses religion as a tool to control and corral the masses with threats, fear and obscurantism; how religion often preemptively categorizes believers as either loyal followers or outlaws. Those who do not conform and obey are traditionally warned that they will be judged and condemned to eternal damnation—a clear form of intimidation.”
The Greek museums are also backing Katsadiotis against the vandalism sustained by Nikos Papadopoulos. The National Gallery board said in a statement, “expresses its confidence in the Management and supports its approved artistic program, ensuring dialogue between different trends, streams and artistic views.”
Image Courtesy – Greek City Times
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