Far-right Niki party files suit to have video art from National Gallery removed
The leader of the far-right Niki party has gone to court in Athens to demand the removal of a video projection from the National Gallery, denouncing it as “obscene material.”
The move by Niki leader Dimitris Natsios comes just over a week after a party member stormed the gallery to remove and damage artworks he deemed blasphemous.
In a statement about the controversial video installation on the third floor of the gallery, the ultra-Orthodox Niki party said: “The public display of obscene material, accompanied by distorted excerpts of our national anthem and the prayer to the Holy Spirit, in a space dedicated to art and our cultural heritage is a major problem that cannot remain unanswered.”
The statement continues: “Under the responsibility of the government, the national and religious feelings of Greek citizens are once again being brutally violated. We expect the Greek judiciary to fulfil its duty.”
On 10 March, Niki party MP Nikolaos Papadopoulos, accompanied by his partner, stormed the gallery, smashed a display case and removed four religiously themed paintings by artist Christophoros Katsadiotis, declaring them blasphemous.
In an attempt to defuse tensions, the gallery has since withdrawn the artist’s works. Prior to their removal, ultra-Orthodox protesters clashed with cultural workers holding a peaceful demonstration in defence of artistic freedom.
AA
