Kochi: The Catholic Congress has demanded strict legal action against the organisers of the Kochi Biennale, alleging that a controversial artwork displayed at the event deeply hurt Christian religious sentiments.
In a statement issued by the global committee of the Catholic Congress, the organisation said that an artwork inspired by the Last Supper of Jesus Christ was presented in a distorted and unacceptable manner. According to the statement, the visual depiction included an unrelated character placed in a way that seriously offended Christian beliefs and disrespected what the community considers sacred.
The Catholic Congress said that presenting such an artwork under the cover of artistic freedom was inappropriate and created unrest in society. It described the display as a serious insult to Christian faith and demanded that the Biennale organisers publicly apologise. The organisation also called for the immediate withdrawal of the controversial artwork from the exhibition.
The statement stressed that while art can be a space for criticism and dialogue, it should never become a tool to mock or insult sacred symbols or faith communities. It warned that repeatedly presenting works that have earlier been criticised and found offensive should not be treated as acceptable artistic expression.
The Catholic Congress further alleged that there may be a deliberate conspiracy behind the exhibition of the artwork and demanded a thorough investigation into the matter. It criticised the Biennale Foundation for allowing such a display and said that providing a platform for what it called irresponsible and offensive content was shameful for Kerala’s cultural life.
The organisation urged the state government to take strong legal action against the Biennale organisers and to ensure that similar incidents do not recur in the future. It also demanded that the cultural affairs department and the home department conduct a detailed inquiry to uncover the facts behind the controversial display.
The meeting was chaired by Catholic Congress President Rajeev Kochuparambil. Director Father Philip Kaviyil delivered the keynote address. General secretary Dr Joskutty Ozhukayil, Advocate Tony Punchakunnel, Dr K M Francis, Benny Antony, Treesa Liz Sebastian, Rajesh John, Thomas Antony, Thambi Erumelikkara, Dr K P Saju, Jomy Kochuparambil and Advocate Manu Varappally also spoke at the meeting.