The Initiative Against Censorship has called for a protest on Thursday, 27 March, at 5 PM at the National Gallery to demand the immediate return of the vandalized artworks by Christoforos Katsadiotis.

As a reminder, the National Gallery removed Christoforos Katsadiotis’ vandalized works from its exhibition following an attack by far-right Niki party MP, Nikos Papadopoulos, on 10 March. Papadopoulos damaged several pieces in the The Seduction of the Stranger exhibition, claiming they “offended religion” by distorting holy figures like the Virgin Mary and Christ. Despite being detained at the museum, Papadopoulos was released, citing parliamentary immunity. Following the attack, the Gallery initially chose to leave the damaged works on display as a symbolic statement, accompanied by an inscription titled “The Symptom”. However, the Gallery has later decided to remove the works entirely.

The call of the Initiative Against Censorship:

“The removal of artworks from a museum represents a defeat for artistic freedom, freedom of expression, and freedom in general. Moreover, it is a loss for our ability to coexist peacefully while disagreeing in an orderly manner. Just imagine what would happen if such practices became widespread: no one would be able to speak or express themselves freely, fearing backlash.”

“This is why it is crucial for democracy that the vandalized works of Christoforos Katsadiotis be returned to their original place. This should have been done yesterday, and since it hasn’t, it must happen today. We mean it—immediately, without delay or excuses. Any statements like ‘the works are being evaluated with the help of experts regarding safe re-exhibition conditions’ risk turning the issue into a forgotten matter.”

“Let us not forget that the incident with Katsadiotis’ works is just one example of a broader, more dangerous wave of right-wing attacks on contemporary art. We’ve seen this in recent examples, such as the removal of Georgia Lale’s “Pink Flag” from the Greek Consulate in New York, the ongoing censorship of Elina Psykou’s documentary Stray Bodies, and the threats faced by stand-up comedian Christoforos Zaralikos.”

“We are calling for a protest in front of the National Gallery on Thursday, 27 March, at 5 PM. We will present 30 instances of artistic censorship, documented by a research project from Panteion University.

The government, the Ministry of Culture, and the National Gallery must take responsibility. Every democrat must do the same. The state has a constitutional duty to protect freedom of expression.”

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