Four artworks by Greek artist Christophoros Katsadiotis, previously removed from Athens’ National Gallery after being vandalized by far-right MP Nikolaos Papadopoulos, are back on display with enhanced security. The pieces, titled “Icon 1,” “Icon 16,” “Icon 17,” and “Saint Christopher,” are showcased alongside Tasos Mantzavinos’ painting “My Dynamism in Sickness Ends” (2013) in the exhibition “The Allure of the Strange,” curated by Gallery director Syrago Tsiara since January.
On March 10, Papadopoulos, a Thessaloniki MP from the ultra-conservative Niki party, forcibly removed and damaged the artworks, calling them “blasphemous” in a Facebook post. He was arrested and charged with minor property damage. The Gallery temporarily withdrew the works with the artist’s consent to ensure safety and restore normalcy.
The reinstated artworks are now protected by a plexiglass panel and motion detectors that trigger alarms if visitors get too close, according to guards. The re-exhibition follows a campaign by artists and academics advocating for artistic freedom, with signatures collected to urge the Gallery to restore the pieces.
Coincidentally, the artworks’ return on Monday aligned with Papadopoulos’ temporary suspension from Niki’s parliamentary group, as announced by party leader Dimitris Natsios, who clarified the MP acted independently.
In response to the incident, the National Gallery is hosting a conference, “The Freedom of Art: Data and Challenges,” featuring experts, lawyers, art historians, cultural leaders, and theologians. The event will explore censorship, vandalism in democracies, the “sacred and profane” in art, and the criteria for exhibiting works.
Image: From left, Christophoros Katsadiotis’ four works and Tasos Mantzavinos’ “My Dynamism in Sickness Ends” (2013, right) on display.