Bishop and Church Representatives Praise Blasphemous Exhibition in Vienna
The exhibition features about 40 provocateurs (“artists”) mocking Christian imagery.
Catholic organizations and online petitions describe the exhibit as “blasphemous,” “insulting,” and as mocking key Christian symbols such as the crucifixion and imagery of the Virgin Mary.
Works criticized include:
- A wolf dressed in liturgical garments
- A crucified frog
- Portrayals of Mary as a trans woman or other provocative reinterpretations
The Austrian right-wing party FPÖ (Austrian Freedom Party) condemned the exhibition as “a scandalous mockery of Christianity” and demanded that it be shut down, especially since it runs during Advent and Christmas and receives public funding.
On Monday, a group of Catholics gathered outside the museum to protest the exhibition, including an act of penance prayer.
However, representatives of the Austrian Church have highly praised the exhibition. The museum highlights the following endorsements:
Bishop Hermann Glettler, Innsbruck (via Instagram)
“‘You Shall Make Yourself an Image’ at the Vienna Künstlerhaus — a well-deserved verdict: absolutely worth seeing! […]
The exhibition is evidence of the endless struggle to somehow do justice to the mystery of God, who has inscribed Himself into a wounded world.”
Rector of Vienna Cathedral, Toni Faber (commentary in Kurier)
“In its current exhibition running until 8 February 2026, the Künstlerhaus Association presents outstanding works in several categories for discussion.”
Jesuit Priest Gustav Schörghofer (from his text in the exhibition catalogue)
“Images shaped by the spirit of Christianity can help open our view toward a reality that is terrible, threatening, and violent, yet in which wonder, love, tenderness, and devotion can also be discovered.
Artworks are not meant to provide instructions for action, but rather to open the view toward a mystery that reveals itself to those who are ready to perceive, within reality, the approach of a deep love.”
Der Sonntag – Weekly Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Vienna
“The exhibition ‘You Shall Make Yourself an Image’ at the Vienna Künstlerhaus shows how contemporary art reinterprets Christian motifs — respectfully, critically, and often surprisingly.”
Elisabeth Leitner, newspaper Kirchenzeitung of the Diocese of Linz
“The curator’s attentive and appreciative perspective is evident throughout the exhibition tour.
Superficial piety and (pseudo-)holiness are addressed by artists such as Martin Kippenberger (Fred the Frog Rings the Bell) and Deborah Sengl (Of Sheep and Wolves).
The insistence on traditionally male creator figures is also questioned, as seen in works by Margot Pilz, Siegfried Anzinger, and Evelyn Kreinecker. […] Recommended.”
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