Written by: Elena Lanzanova

Christ On The Electric Chair. It’s Polemic In The Town Of Gap.

Thursday 16 April 2009

A sculpture of the dead Christ on an electric chair on view since Sunday 4th April in the Cathedral of Gap, a town in the south of France has been causing discussions. The work entitled “Pietà” was realised by English artist Paul Fryer, a multifaceted artist able to express himself brilliantly in various sectors: from sculpture, to painting, to installations. Fryer has been active in the art field for many years. He became popular on the international scene during the early Eighties as an electronic musician and radical performer, experimenting throughout his career different languages. He has a fascinating biography. Dj, writer and recently sculptor characterised by a hyper-realist and funereal style, Fryer worked as a technical consultant for various artists, as a music director for the fashion house Fendi and his book “Don’t Be So …” was illustrated by Damien Hirst.
Paul Fryer’s “Pietà”, impressive and very realistic, deeply upset the faithful who entered the cathedral of Gap: at the back of the Church Christ’s body was no longer nailed to the cross, but abandoned on an electric chair, with the straps undone as after enduring the electric shock, his arms open, the crown around his head. The forty-six-year-old British artist’s work dates from 2006 and belongs to the private collection of French entrepreneur of the luxury industry François Pinault, owner of Palazzo Grassi in Venice and one of the fifty richest men in the world.
There have been strong reactions, some believers have expressed their opposition, perplexed and disoriented by the this atypical interpretation of the Passion. However, it was not a young restless catholic group that proposed the “scandal” and took into the church the hyper-realist work of this contemporary Christ, but the bishop of the diocese of Gap, monsignor Jean-Michel di Falco. A provincial prelate, in charge of the communication Council at the French Episcopal Conference.
“It is a work that certainly does not leave us indifferent, but it is false to talk about a polemic. The scandal is not where someone believes it is”, now monsignor di Falco answers, more than ever convinced about is initiative. “I wondered why I did not feel the same emotion in front of a crucifix. And I came to the conclusion that this was due to the habit. A habit that would prevent from seeing the scandal of this man nailed on two wooden panels like a beast”. However, the bishop has opened a website for the diocese – diocesegap.com – giving free expression to the faithful and the visitors, so far about three thousand.
The comments have been published on the website and have revealed to be mostly in favour of the initiative. “In the Roman era, wasn’t the cross the equivalent of the electric chair?”, wonders one of the faithful. Another observes: “Nowadays we enter a Church without even looking at Christ on the cross. So I thank monsignor di Falco for wakening me”. And also: “This initiative takes credit for wakening us, Christians, in our faith”. It is also right to say that, besides these positive reactions, there are some opposite ones. For instance: “The exhibition of this work should not have taken place in a cathedral on Good Friday”. Or: “If it is art, it could have been put somewhere else”.

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