Should religion be off limits to modern art?
| 16:46 UK time, Tuesday, 13 July 2010
A crucified Christ with an Order of Lenin medal in place of his head and Mickey Mouse's face on Jesus' body - these are just a couple of the images that make up the 'Forbidden Art
The exhibition does what it says on the tin - it's forbidden - at least in Russia where the curators of inciting hatred and given hefty fines worth thousands of dollars.
The trial has seen the rift between Russia's secular and religious communities grow, 'with the artistic community seeing it as an , and Russian Orthodox believers, who had hoped for a prison sentence, saying the fines were too lenient.' The judge Svetlana Aleksandrova called the art 'gross, offensive and humiliating'.
One thing's for sure, the trial and conviction have left more people wanting to see the images than ever before.
Here's the view on free speech in Russia from ,
'The exhibition offended not so much the true believers who would have avoided seeing it, but a group of militant religious radicals, who went out of their way to get offended....Perhaps the Church (and the state) has realised that the fallout from jailing Mr Samodurov and Mr Yerofeev would be more damaging than the exhibition itself. But the verdict brings a sense of relief, rather than satisfaction. Relief because the two men who committed no criminal offence will not go to jail. But they were still found guilty by a court.'
Religious nationalist group  consider the case against the images as simple,
"In a country where 70 percent of the population are religious, no one can be allowed to wipe their feet on one of the principal religions."
feels that religions should always be challenged.
'How strong is a faith if it can never be tested or challenged by art? Art has historically served as a powerful conduit for greater spiritual awareness. To close off that avenue of spirituality would be a great loss, a defamation of religion as something weak and small rather than powerful and immense on a cosmic scale. '
Here in the UK, a leading modern art gallery, the Tate, marked its 10th anniversary yesterday. on the past decade of modern art,
'Tate Modern's success should not be dismissed as new entertainment for the masses. The aim of art is to reveal, inspire and question. It is a tragedy that many do not know or cannot accept that belief shares these aims. As many lose their grasp of the narratives of God's grandeur, the church should ditch any fear of the contemporary art scene and make a place for it in hallowed spaces. Faith may begin to look interesting once again.'
Is religion afraid of art? Should religion be protected from modern art? And how seriously should art be taken?
