Lambs of God endangered with censorship

The mural “Lambs of God”, which won the 6th edition of the A19 Competition for fine arts students and young artists, was launched at Marymont metro station in Warsaw on 9 January 2010. The author of the mural, Julia Curyło, is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw with honours degree in painting and public space art.

Unfortunately, a few days after the presentation the competition organisers started to get requests to remove the mural. Some Warsaw citizens reported that the mural offended their religious feelings.

The mural is supposed to be presented till the end of April, which means it will be there at Easter. May I remind you that Christ theRisen is called also the Lamb of God, which may make some people feel offended by this comparison – this is one of the opinions found at alert24

Article 196 of the Polish Criminal Code penalizes any attempts to offend religious feelings, yet this article cannot be abused. Neither an inflated lamb, nor the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw depicted in the mural is the object of cult or religious ceremonies.

'Offended religious feelings' have become in Poland a synonym of censorship and media witch-hunt. These are also the only 'feelings' protected by the law and in many cases, eg. in the case of the metro mural, the reaction of offended people is exaggerated. It is weird to think that a herd of inflated sheep may be treated as a real danger to faith.
The Programme Board of the A19 competition are going to make a final decision concerning the future of the controversial mural on 20 January 2010.


Julia Curyło explains the meaning of her project.

Julia Curyło cannot see anything vulgar or offensive in the mural she presented at Marymont metro station.

1. In other paintings Curyło made for her diploma work, which was awarded by the Rector of the Academy of Fine Arts, she frequently touched the issue of juxtaposing high culture and pop culture, serious issues, such as faith and kitsch. That's why she often used such images as children's inflated baloons, chickens, dolphins and frogs.

2. The image of the lambs from the mural is, in fact, taken from the sex shop repertoire. Inflated lambs are frequently purchased by young people as funny presents. An innocent lamb in the erotic context seemed to be so enormously absurd and ambiguous in the artist's opinion that it inspired her to use this image in her work (...).

3. The title “Lambs of God” refers to the “devotional business”, which is mass production of tacky devotional articles, frequently superficial and not really religious. As all works of art, the artist's painting can be also interpreted on various levels, yet there is no real association with faith and christianity. The painting might only offend 'religious' feelings of the followers of the Palace of Culture or of inflated lambs. Curyło, as a religious person and a graduate of a catholic secondary school, feels it is simply unfair to accuse her of offending religious feelings of others.

4. Curyło encourages all people interested in her works to read the theoretical part of her diploma, which she did and was awarded for in 2009 at the Fine Arts Academy in Warsaw.

Indeks 73 letter concerning the mural “Lambs of God” - summary.

In the letter to the Board of the Warsaw Metro Company, dated 18 January 2010, Indeks 73 Initiative expresses anxiety concerning the news that the mural “Lambs of God” might be removed due to anonymous opinions the work offended religious feelings. Indeks 73 points out that Article 196 of the Polish Criminal Code defines the act as offensive towards religious feelings when it desecrates publicly the object or the place of religious cult. It is not the case here, as far as the image of an inflated lamb, the Palace of Culture or a metro station is concerned.

From the very beginning the design of the Marymont metro station included the “public space for art”. It was supposed to become the venue of contemporary art exhibitions commenting life, initiating discussions, encompassing marginalised issues and topics. Julia Curyło's work was warmly received both by critics and a majority of the metro commuters. Still, some anonymous commuters reported their disapproval of the mural at alert24.pl website.

A pluralistic debate is open to a wide spectrum of opinions, including negative reactions, which cannot, however, lead to acts of censorship, such as removal of the work of art or its controversial fragments. In a democratic country this form of limiting access to culture is forbidden, which is guaranteed in Article 73 of the Polish Constitution.

Indeks 73 Initiative kindly requests to forward this letter to all members of the Programme Board who will make their final decision concerning the mural “Lambs of God” on 20 January 2010.


“Lambs of God” - conclusion.

On 22 January the Programme Board of the A19 Competition decided to continue the exposition of Julia Curyło's mural “Lambs of God” at Marymont metro station.
Unfortunately, the mural had been vandalised and currently is being rennovated. The perpetrator was caught red-handed and would be taken to court on charges of violation of Article 288 § 1 of the Polish Criminal Code.


Statement of the Programme Board of the A19 Art Competition – summary.

As a result of both critical and enthusiastic reactions to Julia Curyło's mural “Lambs of God” presented at Marymont metro station, the Programme Board called a special meeting on 20 January to discuss the future of the mural. Members of the Board had become acqainted with Curyło's inspirations (eg. origins of the inflated lambs) and more detailed interpretations of the work, and did not change their opinion concerning the artistic aspect of the work (6 out of 8 members voted for continuation of the mural exposition, 2 abstained). Yet, taking into account controversies evoked by the work, the Board decided the mural “Lambs of God” would be presented only till 25 March.

Members of the Board suggest becoming acquainted with Curyło's interpretations of her work “Lambs of God”, as well as her diploma available at the library of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.

In reponse to some of the questions of metro commuters the Board explains that all the decisions regarding which works are selected within the frames of the A19 Competition and when they are presented are mede by the Programme Board (each member has one vote). More details can be found at www.19a.eu. The Competition is not financed with the public money.
Members of the Board recall the definition of acts considered offensive to religious feelings based on Article 196 of the Polish Criminal Code, which is not violated, in their opinion, in the case of the mural “Lambs of God”.

Members of the Programme Board of the Art Competition A19 - Public Space for Art:

Mirosław Duchowski – the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw; Zdzisław Kostrzewa – AiB, the general designer of Marymont metro station; Dorota Monkiewicz – Contemporary Museum in Wrocław; Maria Potocka – “Bunkier Sztuki” Contemporary Art Gallery in Cracow; Łukasz Kamieniak – the Aesthetics Department of Public Space in Warsaw; Janina Trepczyńska–Grynberg – the Association of Polish Architects; Marek Dzienkiewicz – the Warsaw Branch of the Association of Polish Artists and Designers; Monika Czapla – Warsaw Metro Company; Jowita Kiepas–Szaniawska – the organiser of the A19 Competition.


Translated by Małgorzata Głombiowska