Beaverbrook Art Gallery shines spotlight on controversial art piece

Andres Serrano’s Immersion: Piss Christ is pictured. (Source: Beaverbrook Art Gallery)

It’s an art piece that’s generated no shortage of conversations over the last 40 years – and even an act of vandalism – and now it’s on display at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton.

Andres Serrano’s Immersion: Piss Christ is a photograph of a crucifix submerged in urine. The piece, which debuted in 1987, has sparked controversy and debate, and it officially launched in Fredericton on Friday.

“This work has proven itself to generate conversations for four decades,” said Bernard Doucet, executive director of the gallery. “We hope it sets a tone where we can engage with audiences. It’s a job of a gallery to do two things: We need to care for art but we also need to make it accessible.

“It’s our job to invite people in here and show them what an art gallery can do for them. You can get a lot out of life by being open to art. We’ll be mindful of the fact there are increased considerations around this because of its history.”

The photograph is on loan from the Rennie Collection in Vancouver.

“We approached them along the lines of providing access very high-profile international artwork that has generated conversations around the world to New Brunswick for the first time,” Doucet said. “They were so receptive to that. New audiences who might not have had a chance to see it.”

Everet Garcia, parish council chairman with the St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Fredericton, said as a devout Catholic he was saddened to hear about the art piece on display in town.

“My surface feeling is sad and disappointed and that Jesus is being disrespected,” he said. “We’re open to know the reason behind it.”

Doucet said the piece, along with other photographs by Serrano, will be on display at the Dalí Chapel, which features the famous Santiago El Grande painting by Salvador Dalí. Doucet hopes to use the space to explore religious themes.

“The Beaverbrook has a lot of religious and ecclesiastical art,” he said. “We have things that date back to the 15^th century. I want us to be able to celebrate that heritage because it’s not been in fashion to highlight religious art in Canadian museums. We have masterpieces.

“The Dalí Chapel provides a context to make those pieces make sense. When you think about religious art, you don’t necessarily think of contemporary art.”

In 2011, the Piss Christ was damaged by protesters in France. Doucet said the artist and the owner decided to keep the damage visible on the piece.

Serrano’s works will be on display at the Beaverbrook until Nov. 29. Whatever people think of the exhibition, Doucet encourages them to come see it in person.

“We’re enthusiastic about greeting people to see the work in person,” he said. “It’s an entirely different experience to see something in person than reading about it or seeing it online.

“It’s the job of a gallery to get people to come in and make a decision for themselves and have an emotional response or an intellectual response.”

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