PHOTO: Same-sex couples instead of Adam and Eve, a transsexual instead of a snake. An Advent installation in a church caused a stir
The artwork, created by Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin, was placed by the Church of Sweden in St Paul's Church in Malmö. An official statement said that church leaders are grateful to the artist for her depiction of love in the church, without distinction, simply as God created mankind. Moreover, the pairs of nearly naked men and women are made up of people of different skin colours...Although the Swedish church is one of the more progressive ones, the same can certainly not be said of believers who subscribe to conservative religious currents, who are of course deeply disgusted by the work. "These are not Christian values, but merely political activism," writes one Twitter user, for example.
The painting, called Paradise, is also the first altarpiece depicting an LGBT theme to be made available in a Swedish church. The aim of its commissioning, according to church dignitaries, is to be more inclusive of LGBT people and enable them to identify with the church. Thus, one of the pastors of the church said on the day of the unveiling of the LGBT altar that it is a historic moment that makes him very happy and proud.
The rather innovative depiction of paradise was then inspired by the Renaissance master Lacas Cranach the Elder. Paradoxically, the new LGBT Paradise is, at least in terms of nudity, much more restrained than the 16th century Renaissance original - in fact, everyone in it was naked and their genitals were visible.
It should also be added that the artist created the work in 2012, when she wanted to dedicate it to Skara Cathedral, where the first ever wedding of a same-sex couple was to take place that year. However, the representatives of the cathedral ultimately rejected the work with thanks.
While the artist who created the work generally likes to stir up controversy with her creations - and her reinterpretation of the Last Supper with a transsexual Jesus even had to be guarded by armed guards while on display in Serbia a few years ago - the Swedish church has long espoused ideas of openness and support for LGBT people. Since 2009, for example, same-sex couples have also been married in their churches. Then two years ago, priests affiliated to the church were asked not to refer to God as a man and to use more inclusive language.
