October 3, 2012
Controversial exhibition opened with police securityBELGRADE -- A photo exhibition by a Swedish artist was opened in Belgrade on Wednesday causing a heated public debate over the way it portrays symbols of Christianity.
Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin's Ecce Homo caused the same stir in other countries where it had been shown, Tanjug reported.
The exhibition was organized as part of Belgrade Pride Week, an event gay activists use to draw attention to the rights of the LGBT community. The opening was accompanied by high security, since the political party Dveri announced a counter-rally nearby.
The whole block around the Center for Cultural Decontamination venue, where the exhibition was held, was closed off by thousends of riot police two hours before the event started. The police only let through those who live there, people with invitations to the exhibition and reporters.
Member of the Pride Parade organization committee Boban Stojanović addressed the visitors at the opening of the exhibition, greeted them on behalf of the artist and read an open letter to Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dačić, which, as he said, had been inspired by Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Irinej's public address that morning.
Stojanović asked Dačić to stop Irinej's violations of human rights and advocation of homophobia.
There are 12 photographs at the exhibition mimicing classical works of art and portraying Christ as a homosexual. The exhibition will be closed on Wednesday evening, and only about a hundred invited guests will have an opportunity to see it.
Video from exhibition:
http://www.tanjug.rs/videodet.aspx?galID=75093&videoID=415401http://www.tanjug.rs/videodet.aspx?galID=75093&videoID=415402http://www.tanjug.rs/videodet.aspx?galID=75093&videoID=415403