On Tuesday, June 5th, a workshop titled “The Freedom of Art – Data and Challenges” took place at the National Gallery, following the recent vandalism incidents involving works from the exhibition “The Seduction of the Bizarre.”
The National Gallery’s legal advisor informed reporters that they plan to file a lawsuit seeking 500,000 euros against Nikos Papadopoulos for the damage done to the artworks.
In an interview with Mega, the former Nikis MP expressed that he stands by his actions, stating: “The 500,000 euros these individuals demand from me for removing the offensive works that directly disrespect the Virgin Mary contribute to a personal vendetta against me. First, they attempted to tarnish my character, then politically eliminate me. While they expelled me from Niki and are trying to silence my voice in Parliament, the people support me. A recent poll shows that 9 out of 10 Greeks want my voice to be heard.”
“They’ve cut my salary by half due to the controversial projects I opposed. I remain firm in my belief that removing those works was right, and I hope to do it again. To me, 500,000 euros is not a substantial amount for Orthodox Christians. With a population of 10 million, if one million believers contribute half a euro each, that totals five hundred thousand. We are undeterred by their fines or threats,” Papadopoulos added.
In parallel, New Democracy MP Thanos Plevris remarked in a social media post that the lawsuit against Papadopoulos is excessive, asserting that “this is not about restitution, but revenge.”
“While I find his actions unacceptable, showcasing offensive works concerning our Virgin Mary in a National Gallery is equally unacceptable, as it is not a private gallery,” Plevris concluded in his statement.
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