Artist behind controversial piece in Linz cathedral says vandalism shows there are still ‘people who question women’s right to their own bodies’
Vandals have beheaded a sculpture of the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus on display in the cathedral in the Austrian city of Linz. The work had drawn criticism from some Catholics, who said it was blasphemous.
The sculpture had been on view at the St Mary Cathedral, Austria’s largest, as part of an art installation about women’s roles, family images and gender equality, the Linz diocese said in a statement. It said the vandalism, which occurred on Monday, had been reported to police.
The identity of the vandals was unknown. But Alexander Tschugguel, an Austrian traditionalist Catholic responsible for the so-called “Pachamama” act of vandalism during the Vatican’s 2019 Amazon synod, said in a social media post on Tuesday that he had been contacted by those responsible.
Tschugguel praised the “Hero of Linz” and posted what he said was a statement from the anonymous vandal explaining the motivation. The statement implied that the person’s emails and calls to the diocese to complain about the sculpture had been ignored.
The artist who created the “crowning” sculpture, Esther Strauss, also condemned the destruction, according to the Linz diocese statement. “Most portraits of the Virgin Mary were made by men and have therefore often served patriarchal interests,” she said, adding that in her sculpture, “Mary gets her body back”.
“Crowning”… I think I might love this artist.
Tschugguel became a hero to traditionalists in 2019 when he snuck into a Vatican-area church, stole Amazonian Indigenous statues of pregnant women, and threw them into the Tiber River in a videotaped act that was quickly shared online.
Holy shit, what an asshole. Why is this guy so grossed out by pregnant women?
Why is this guy so grossed out by pregnant women?
Fucked around and found out which consequences it may have?
The face looks rather… Hapsburg.
That Mary is awfully pale for someone who trekked across the Middle East to give birth.
The work had drawn criticism from some Catholics, who said it was blasphemous.
I won’t deny it’s kind of an odd idea for a sculpture and clearly designed to create controversy, but claiming that it’s blasphemous just confirms the fact that they don’t know the definition of the word. It just depicts a defining moment in Christian history, whether you like the aesthetics or not… The Catholic church has definitely celebrated weirder things.
I’m convinced all of these issues are just about power. The men on charge just can’t let women decide instead of men…even when it comes to what’s in women’s bodies … BY destroying the art they’re attempting to take the power,but in reality it just makes the piece stronger.
It is new art, the message has changed and it’s even more powerful.
Hold up. The artist thinks the Virgin Mary is a good example of women having a right to their own bodies? This is a woman who was supposedly forcibly impregnated by a god. What bodily autonomy does her story exhibit?
I’m not sure if it’s the artists intention or not, but it gets at the heart of a lot of misogyny. What could possibly be controversial about Mary giving birth? It’s an interesting question to put to the (mostly) men who decry the installation.
I think they resent the reminder that a woman gave birth to their god. A woman having that kind of power and authority is abhorrent in their minds.
Oh it’s a great story about the lack of autonomy.
Warn your kids against Christianity, the entire religion is predicated on rape. Jesus is a rape baby. Full stop.
The Christian kind, I suppose
It’s fine to be Christian. I just don’t understand how the artist’s quote is relevant in any way to this piece of work the made or the defacement of it. The closest I can fathom is that it’s a woman. The logic ends there.
You mean to tell me someone did something as punk as beheading the virgin Mary and I can’t even celebrate it because it was some traditionalist asshole trying to prove a dumb point?
Fuckin’ LAAAAAME!
The person who did this is a Christian fundy. The opposite of punk.
Wtf did I just read.
