Modern art vs far-right hysteria
25 March 2025
A member of the Greek parliament vandalised an exhibit in the National Gallery in Athens, shattering pieces by slamming them on the floor. Nikolaos Papadopoulos of the populist right-wing party Niki felt that the "blasphemous" exhibit titled The 'Allure of the Bizarre' disrespected the Christian Orthodox faith through its distorted depictions of the Virgin Mary and Christ.
Sounds wild? Behind it is a global trend of the populist radical right that shares Papadopoulos' aversion to 'modern' art. In Germany, members of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) continue to accuse the Bauhaus school (yes, the one from the 1920s) of causing economic struggles and 'damaging German culture'. Led by left-leaning figures, Bauhaus aimed to create art for the masses, blending experimental design with functionality.
The school has been in the crosshairs since its inception, first criticised by conservatives in the Weimar Republic, then persecuted by the Nazis, and now blamed by the AfD for "denying man's connection to land and his cultural roots."
Meanwhile, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has long wanted to "liberate" the Italian culture from the "meritocratic and pluralist ruling class". In the past two years, Meloni appointed right-wing directors of public broadcasters, contemporary art museums, and even the Venice Biennale.
US president Donald Trump reignited the European far-right's obsession with contemporary art. He especially hates brutalist architecture, calling the FBI headquarters – the monumental brutalist J. Edgar Hoover building – "one of the ugliest buildings" in Washington D.C. His goal: replace it with something that doesn't hurt "Western traditions".
Vague references to 'Western' values are used by all right-wing figures attacking modern art across the board. Trump's successful culture war tactic has got him elected twice, and European far-right politicians are noticing.
 | Theofilos Perperidis Papadopolous didn't get away with it. After the Association of Greek Archaeologists described his behaviour as "brutal" and "uncivilized", he was arrested on charges of property damage and faces a 50% reduction in his parliamentary salary for one month. Perhaps more relevant than his temporary pay cut is the symbolism of Papadopolous' excursion. The 'Allure of the Bizarre' attracts visitors with artworks reflecting contemporary political developments through "surreal" and "grotesque" means throughout the centuries. Papadopolous arguably continued that tradition, reflecting on our divided contemporary political climate through an act of aggressive performance art. A great fit into the Allure of the Bizarre. |
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