Kochi-Muziris Biennale venue temporarily closed after Christian groups protest painting referencing The Last Supper
In Kerala, India, Christian organizations protested against Tom Vattakuzhy's artwork, Supper at a Nunnery, resulting in the temporary shutdown of a venue for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. This piece, inspired by da Vinci's The Last Supper, features a topless Mata Hari, the Dutch dancer, amidst nuns. Although it was not included in the primary biennale lineup, it appeared in the side exhibition titled "Edam." On December 30, 2025, the Syro-Malabar Church condemned it as a "distorted and inappropriate replica." While curators KM Madhusudhanan and Aishwarya Suresh defended the work, it was ultimately removed to "respect public sentiments." Vattakuzhy, who grew up in a Christian family, intended to highlight Christian humanism and portray Mata Hari as a misunderstood figure.
Key facts
- The Kochi-Muziris Biennale temporarily closed a venue following backlash from Christian groups over a painting by Tom Vattakuzhy
- The painting Supper at a Nunnery references Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper (c. 1495–98)
- The work depicts a topless woman representing Dutch dancer Mata Hari surrounded by nuns
- The Syro-Malabar Church issued a statement on December 30, 2025 expressing "deep anguish" and calling the work "deliberate insensitivity to religious beliefs"
- Curators KM Madhusudhanan and Aishwarya Suresh and biennale president Bose Krishnamachari initially defended the painting
- The painting was eventually removed from the "Edam" exhibition to "respect public sentiments"
- The Garden Convention Centre venue was closed before reopening in early January
- Tom Vattakuzhy said he never intended to offend and that his work draws on "the humanism seen in Christian values"
Entities
Artists
- Tom Vattakuzhy
- Leonardo da Vinci
- KM Madhusudhanan
- Aishwarya Suresh
- Bose Krishnamachari
- C. Gopan
Institutions
- Kochi-Muziris Biennale
- Kochi Biennale Foundation
- Syro-Malabar Church
- The Hindu
- The News Minute
- ArtAsiaPacific
Locations
- Kochi
- India
- Kerala
- Germany
- France