Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Graffiti, church, and Western civilisation
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Graffiti, church, and Western civilisation
An art exhibition in Canterbury Cathedral has enraged traditionalists who believe that it doesn’t fit with the holy site’s beauty or the church’s mission. The works consist of a set of temporary vinyl stickers with questions like “Why did you create hate when love is by far more powerful?” and “Does our struggle mean anything?” The questions for God were devised after artist Alex Vellis and curator Jacquiline Creswell consulted a series of marginalised groups.
The organisers say the stickers were tested to make sure they did not damage the cathedral’s ancient walls. But they have faced criticism on artistic grounds and questions about the appropriateness of the art and the values behind it.
Among the outraged were Vice President JD Vance, who called the stickers “ugly”, and Elon Musk, who called it an affront to western civilisation
They in turn were faced with supporters of the exhibition who argued it reflected the church’s mission and spread a message of inclusiveness and tolerance.
Art has always been intrinsically tied to religion and the Anglican Church, so how far back does this culture war battle really go – and why did political leaders in America jump into the controversy?
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Production team: Natasha Fernandes, Ellie House, Mike Wendling
Studio manager: Andy Mills
Production coordinator: Janet Staples
Editor: Richard Vadon
View all episodes
By BBC Radio 4
2.7
66 ratings
An art exhibition in Canterbury Cathedral has enraged traditionalists who believe that it doesn’t fit with the holy site’s beauty or the church’s mission. The works consist of a set of temporary vinyl stickers with questions like “Why did you create hate when love is by far more powerful?” and “Does our struggle mean anything?” The questions for God were devised after artist Alex Vellis and curator Jacquiline Creswell consulted a series of marginalised groups.
The organisers say the stickers were tested to make sure they did not damage the cathedral’s ancient walls. But they have faced criticism on artistic grounds and questions about the appropriateness of the art and the values behind it.
Among the outraged were Vice President JD Vance, who called the stickers “ugly”, and Elon Musk, who called it an affront to western civilisation
They in turn were faced with supporters of the exhibition who argued it reflected the church’s mission and spread a message of inclusiveness and tolerance.
Art has always been intrinsically tied to religion and the Anglican Church, so how far back does this culture war battle really go – and why did political leaders in America jump into the controversy?
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Production team: Natasha Fernandes, Ellie House, Mike Wendling
Studio manager: Andy Mills
Production coordinator: Janet Staples
Editor: Richard Vadon
More shows like AntiSocial
View all
More or Less
891 Listeners
Desert Island Discs
2,002 Listeners
The Media Show
33 Listeners
Moral Maze
69 Listeners
Any Questions? and Any Answers?
39 Listeners
Matt Forde's Political Party
67 Listeners
Political Thinking with Nick Robinson
98 Listeners
Newscast
622 Listeners
Americast
731 Listeners
The Rest Is Politics
3,000 Listeners
The News Agents
983 Listeners
The Rest Is Politics: Leading
777 Listeners
When It Hits the Fan
49 Listeners
Radical with Amol Rajan
50 Listeners
Strong Message Here
68 Listeners