15/11/2018
The sculpture, by Spanish artist Eugenio Merino (Madrid, 1975)
:Represents a Muslim worshipper, a Catholic priest and a Rabbi. The three of them are immortalized in the act of praying, each one in his own fashion: the Muslim bending, the Catholic kneeling and the Jew standing. The piece comes with the controversial title “Stairway to Heaven”. To a closer look, we see that the books of the three religions are inverted: the Jew prays with a Koran, the Christian with a Torah, and the Muslim with a Bible. How should we read this piece?
The artist defends his work: “It is not a work of art meant to offend. My idea is the coexistence of the three religions, joint in a common effort to reach God, in a literally way. I think the message is positive.”
Of different opinion, the Israeli Embassy in Spain, which has publicly protested. “The piece contains elements which are offensive for the Jews, the Israelis, and, of course, for others“. It condemned the work of Merino as “pure provocation for the sake of provocation“.
Can the sculpture be considered anti-Semitic, suggesting once again the old stereotype of the Jews ruling the world, standing on top of the column, closer to God? Or should that be taken as a compliment?
Or maybe the sculpture is anti-Islamic, since the Muslim is crushed at the end of the pile. Or should that be taken as a compliment, meaning that Islam is at the base of all monotheistic religions?
And what about poor old Catholicism, squeezed in the middle, the eyes shut?
Maybe the column is not meant to suggest a hierarchy, so nobody should get offended.
We can easily see that every interpretation is exactly what it is: an interpretation. Ask different people, they will give you different interpretation.
Isn’t that what art is all about???
