Biennale withdraws Tom Vattakkuzhy’s painting after Church protest

Kochi: Mrudwangiyude Durmruthyu, a painting by artist Tom Vattakkuzhy that triggered protests from the Church for its similarity to Da Vinci's Last Supper, will not be displayed at the Edam exhibition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale from Monday onwards. "The Garden Convention Centre, a venue of Edam, an exhibition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, was closed in compliance with the directions of the authorities following petitions pertaining to a certain artwork. Subsequently, a meeting was chaired by the sub-collector, where this matter was discussed. Following this, the curator of Edam and the artist concerned decided to withdraw the painting from the exhibition, respecting public sentiments and in the interest of the common good," said a statement from the Kochi Biennale Foundation. "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 reopened to the public," the statement added. Ironically, Edam, which runs parallel to the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), was conceived in 2022 to extend the platform for artists from Kerala. Writer-critic M N Karassery said that the development is quite disappointing. "It is the responsibility of the state govt and the home department to say that such an objection is not right, and it is a matter relating to the artist's freedom of expression," Karassery said. Karassery said that Vattakuzhy is someone he holds in high regard and, in his opinion, the painting concerned is a masterpiece. "The painting has nothing that is against Christ. It is a very good painting, and I see Vattakuzhy as a great painter. I do not know him personally but I have great respect for him. The artist or the Biennale obviously has no other option if there is going to be a law-and-order issue. It is the duty of the police, and the govt, to ensure that there is no law-and-order issue, whether they ask for it or not," he said, adding that the fear of vote banks is disappointing. Originally accompanying a review of the play Mrudwangiyude Durmruthyu by C Gopan, the painting depicts the night before the execution of Mata Hari and her last wish - to dance and be remembered as a dancer by a few nuns, her last companions. The painting shows the half-naked dancer flanked by 12 nuns. The image is strikingly reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, triggering a barrage of criticism from the Church. The Syro-Malabar Church said, "Presentations that mock religious beliefs and distort sacred symbols, thereby hurting the sentiments of believers, cannot be justified in the name of creative freedom." Vattakkuzhy defended his work, saying that he views The Last Supper primarily as a work of art. He told TOI last week that the comparison to The Last Supper was not appropriate since the context is entirely different, as the work was created to accompany a play. While it is true that elements of that iconography were included, identifying this piece as The Last Supper based solely on those elements is an overreading, he said, emphasising the complexity of elements in his work.He added that separating the painting from its original purpose and forcing it into a strictly religious context is meaningless. He said Mata Hari remains a misunderstood figure, a woman who was made a scapegoat by French officials needing someone to blame for military setbacks during World War I. Vattakkuzhy said Hari was a victim of the patriarchal atrocities of her time in Europe, and he looked at her with compassion, and it is those emotions of love and mercy that he tried to evoke in the work.