An artwork called “McJesus,” which was sculpted by Finnish artist Jani Leinonen and depicts a crucified Ronald McDonald, is seen on display as part of the Haifa museum’s “Sacred Goods” exhibit, in Haifa, Israel, on Jan. 14, 2019. Hundreds of Christians calling for the sculpture’s removal protested at the museum last week. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Source: Religion News Service
BY Michele Chabin
JERUSALEM (RNS) – A work titled “McJesus,” depicting a crucified Ronald McDonald, at an art museum in Haifa has brought angry calls from local Christians to remove it — a result the artist said he approves.
Last Friday, hundreds of Arab Christians demonstrated in front of the Haifa Museum of the Arts, demanding that it remove the artwork. Some protesters threw fire bombs and stones at the museum and attempted to enter the building to remove the sculpture. Three police officers who attempted to manage the crowd were injured.
The piece, by Finnish artist Jani Leinonen, is part of an exhibition called “Sacred Goods,” which focuses on “the responses of contemporary artists to issues of religion and faith in the contemporary global reality, which is dominated by the consumer culture,” according to the museum’s website.
Categories: CHRISTIANITY, Israel, Middle East, The Muslim Times