India's Kochi-Muziris Biennale was forced to close briefly in late December 2024, just weeks after its mid-December opening, following protests by Christian groups over a painting of the Last Supper by artist Tom Vattakuzhy. The work was displayed not in the main biennial exhibition, “For the Time Being,” but in a side exhibition called “EDAM” at the Garden Convention Centre in Kochi. Christian organizations, including the Kerala Latin Catholic Association and the Syro-Malabar Church, condemned the painting as offensive and called for its removal, questioning the use of public funds. Vattakuzhy, who is from a Christian family, said he did not intend to offend and that the work was inspired by a play based on a poem about Mata Hari. The biennial's curators and president defended the work, refusing to remove it on grounds of censorship, and organizers announced the exhibition would reopen on January 2.
This incident matters because it highlights ongoing tensions between artistic freedom and religious sentiment in India, particularly in Kerala, which has a large Christian population. The Kochi-Muziris Biennale is the country's premier contemporary art event, and its brief closure due to protests raises questions about the role of public funding in supporting potentially controversial art. The standoff between the biennial foundation and religious groups underscores broader debates about censorship, secularism, and the limits of free expression in a culturally diverse democracy. The outcome could set a precedent for how art institutions navigate similar conflicts in the future.