An artwork depicting a cruciform Jesus pinned to a dartboard has been removed from the library of a US university following complaints.
Administrators at Rutgers University in New Jersey removed the artwork titled “Vitruvian Man”.
It showed darts piercing the Christ figure’s hands, side and feet, the Daily Mail reported.
Rutgers student Natalie Caruso appears to have been the first to have publicly complained about “Vitruvian Man”, posting pictures of the artwork to a Rutgers Facebook group.
“This is currently displayed in the Art Library on College Ave. It is surprising that a state university would allow this,” Caruso wrote.
“I asked them to take it down because I found it disrespectful and they refused. How is this acceptable!?’ she added.
The reactions to her posting were swift and numerous, with Rutgers students giving many different points of view.
Some backed Caruso’s opinion, saying religious students shouldn’t have to be subjected to seeing what they believe is an offensive image.
Others said they were religious, but thought the piece of art should remain hanging in the library on the basis of free speech and the separation of Church and state.
Still more said the artwork appears to have done its job by causing a fevered debate on the topic.
But school administrators decided to take the artwork down and put it in a glass case with other pieces of art the same day that Caruso complained.
And just hours later, they removed it from the library altogether.
University spokesman Jessica Pellien explained in a statement that the decision to remove “Vitruvian Man” was based on the fact that “it did not meet Rutgers University Libraries policy, which requires art exhibitions and their pieces to be based on university events, curricular offerings and topics of interest to the university community”.
Sources
- Daily Mail
- Image: Daily Mail