Exhibition with provocative images of Christ and Theotokos closed in Cyprus

The interior of the Blue Iris gallery in Paphos. Photo: Blue Iris/FB

The Blue Iris gallery in Paphos has canceled an art exhibition after the displayed works provoked a strong public reaction and were deemed offensive to Orthodox Christian symbols, Cyprus Mail reports.

The works by artist Georgios Gavriel depicted Christ, the Most Holy Theotokos, and other sacred icons in a manner critics described as sacrilegious. This triggered a sharp response from believers, clergy, and political figures.

“The Blue Iris gallery is exhibiting works that deliberately desecrate Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the most sacred symbols of the Orthodox faith. This is blatant blasphemy, not art,” said Member of Parliament Efthymios Diplaros. According to him, references to freedom of expression are “a cheap excuse for offending the religious conscience of millions of believers."

"Tolerance of such acts is not neutrality, it is complicity. Our faith is not a sketch, it is not a caricature, it is not an object of ridicule. Enough is enough. Respect now.,” the MP concluded.

In a statement, the gallery noted that the exhibition faced “opposition from part of society,” prompting the decision to cancel it. Blue Iris management emphasized that it had no intention of offending religion, adding: “The gallery does not wish to become a source of further unrest.”

Condemnation of the exhibition also came from national leadership and local authorities. Speaker of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou stated: “I express my revulsion at ‘works of art’ that brutally offend the symbols of our people’s faith. Freedom of expression cannot be an excuse for vulgarity.”

Paphos Mayor Fedonas Fedonos called the works “unacceptable and provocative,” stressing that “freedom of expression is one thing, but there are limits to everything. He added that religious feelings of the majority of the people cannot be provoked "in such a brutal way.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that historic stained-glass windows at Notre-Dame are to be replaced with new ones featuring Black figures.

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