At the Discovery Art Fair in Cologne, an artist caused a sensation with a live installation. Under the motto “Absolvo te!” (“I acquit you”) Dennis Josef Meseg criticizes the Catholic Church’s handling of abuse cases. There is a lot of bare skin to see.
Those who stroll past his stand will see, among other things, a confessional, a priest and six naked young men kneeling on pews. In later scenes, the roles are reversed at the confessional. “I refer the perpetrators to the place they deserve. And kneeling before their victims,” says Meseg. “They wrap themselves in expensive robes, preach God’s word and give absolution.”
“It is they who need forgiveness. Because they are wolves in sheep’s clothing,” Meseg makes clear in the description of the campaign. However, the 44-year-old emphasizes: “I am not attacking the Catholic Church or faith itself with the criticism, but dealing with and communicating with perpetrators and victims.”
Artists themselves victims of abuse
For Meseg, the issue is personal. He himself was a victim of abuse in his younger years, but not in connection with the Catholic Church. The subject is very topical with him at the moment. “Unfortunately it somehow keeps popping up in my work, even though you didn’t really plan it from the start,” he says.
He hopes that visitors will pay attention to the subject. “From the little tear that rolls down to aggressive outbursts, any emotion is good for me. The most important thing is that something moves people,” explains Meseg.
Source: Krone
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
