Athens, June 7, 2025 – Afroditi Latinopoulou, Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Voice of Reason party, announced on June 6, 2025, that she has filed a lawsuit against Greece’s National Gallery, along with seeking injunctions, in response to the controversial exhibition “The Allure of the Bizarre – In-Between Space.” In a video posted on Instagram, Latinopoulou, identifying as a lawyer and Orthodox Christian Greek, claimed the exhibition mocks Christian faith and Orthodox values, particularly citing artworks by Christoforos Katsadiotis that she alleges caricature saints and desecrate sacred symbols.
“They have mistaken our tolerance for weakness. It’s time to put things in order,” Latinopoulou stated, emphasizing that the National Gallery, as a public institution funded by taxpayer money, should not serve as a platform for what she described as “elitist progressive groups” targeting Orthodoxy. “The freedom of art stops where the insult to our faith begins,” she added, framing her legal action as a defense of Greek Orthodox values.
The lawsuit follows a prior incident on March 10, 2025, when Niki party MP Nikos Papadopoulos vandalized artworks in the same exhibition, calling them “blasphemous.” The National Gallery temporarily removed the damaged pieces but reinstated them on May 5, 2025, with enhanced security measures, including plexiglass panels and motion detectors. The Gallery also filed a €500,000 lawsuit against Papadopoulos for damages, a move that sparked further debate about artistic freedom versus religious sensitivity.
Latinopoulou’s legal action has ignited polarized reactions. Supporters on social media platforms like X have praised her for standing up for Orthodox Christian values, with posts calling her move a necessary response to perceived insults against faith. Critics, however, argue that the lawsuit threatens artistic expression, pointing to the National Gallery’s planned conference, “The Freedom of Art: Data and Challenges,” which will address censorship and vandalism in democratic societies.
The National Gallery has not yet publicly commented on Latinopoulou’s lawsuit, though it previously defended the exhibition’s artistic merit and condemned acts of vandalism, citing constitutional protections for artistic freedom under Article 16 of the Greek Constitution. The exhibition, inspired by surrealist themes and Francisco Goya’s works, has been a lightning rod for controversy, with some arguing it pushes boundaries in a way that disrespects religious sentiments, while others see it as a legitimate exploration of contemporary art.
By Stella Mazonakis, Greek City Times
Published: June 7, 2025
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