The video of the vandalism of the four works by the engraver Christoforos Katsadiotis by NIKI party MP Nikos Papadopoulos was displayed today at the Amphitheater of the National Gallery-Alexandrou Soutsos Museum (EPSI), where her director Jar and curator of the group exhibition “The fierce of the weird“, In which the projects were involved, he answered journalists’ questions.

Shortly before it was carried out by the same tour of the intermediate area, where this exhibition of 10 artists (including H. Katsadiotis) was implemented in the framework of the “Interim” (1797-98), which belong to the permanent collection of the Gallery and are currently on display at -2 level.

On the mesopotist the journalists- but also visitors to the National Gallery hereafter- came into contact with the consequences of vandalism: on the floor, with broken glass showcases, there are the four vandalized projects where they will remain until the end of the exhibition. At the same time, a ribbon prevents contact with the fragments, while a sign, entitled “The Symptom”, states the fact: “The curator of the exhibition and director of the National Gallery with the artist’s consent decided to maintain his traces.”

“There was an act of condemnable violence and vandalism which I consider, with the artist’s agreement, that it should be recorded in the public sphere as an event that must be condemned by all of us,” Mrs Tsiara replied to the question as to the rationale behind the symbolic movement, Threatens, the threats, the insults, the curses, ‘we will burn you’, ‘we will set fire to the gallery’ and ‘go to hell’, they started from the date of the questioning in the House. All the previous time the exhibition flowed normally, peaked before and after the attack and vandalism. And they still continue, “the EPMA director added, who informed that all appropriate legal acts were made shortly after the attack.

Answering questions, S. Tsiara said that “Museum Safety Issues, which at this extent will be starting to discuss unfortunately from now on, there were no short time ago. At international level we are aware of the actions of the museums of the world, we have enhanced security measures, “, the EPMA director pointed out, stressing that” after the first threats we took we have strengthened the measures of these projects: the cameras were reorganized, more have been added, so today we have this material.

“Everything that is happening will obviously will be of concern to us in the future to see if we will need to take additional measures or change something … From the beginning of the beginning, I do not consider it right to operate under the state of fear of fanaticism”, he pointed out, while in the choice of these projects he explained that I did not think that Museum of contemporary art, but of the EPM.

Meanwhile, today, the Workers’ Association of the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) issued a statement, stressing that “we stand against any attempt at censorship and violence against artistic creation” and denouncing “the violent attack and vandalism of the artworks” Syraki Tsiara … The EMST workers’ union stands by the creators and artists against any action that deals with censorship and vandalism of art. Non -negotiable.

It is recalled that on Monday, March 10th, NIKI party MP Nikos Papadopoulos attacked Christoforos Katsadiotis, which the National Gallery-Museum of Alexander Soutsos had included in the exhibition “The Skilinos”. These are works entitled “Image 1”, “16th icon”, “17th icon”, “Saint Christopher”, which are on display on the melodom in the framework of the “Intermediate Space” program. The MP together with another man took the works violently from the wall and threw them on the floor resulting in their breakage. Following the incident, the Board of Directors of the National Gallery-Museum Alexander Soutsos convened extraordinary and issued a statement where, inter alia, he expressed his “confidence in the management” and supported “its approved artistic program”, condemning “all the artistic”.