The Syro-Malabar Church in Kerala has strongly condemned an artwork displayed at the Kochi Muziris Biennale for allegedly misrepresenting Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, The Last Supper. The controversial painting is by artist Tom Vattakuzhy and forms part of the ‘Edam’ exhibition at the Garden Convention Centre, Bazar Road. Following protests from various groups, the venue was temporarily closed on Tuesday, December 30, 2025. In a statement, the Syro-Malabar Church said the artwork distorted the Last Supper scene and was previously withdrawn in 2016 after similar protests. It said, “We doubt whether it was displayed at the biennale intentionally to hurt the sentiments of the believers.” The Church added, “Freedom of expression remains vital to any democratic society. But it does not permit anyone to misrepresent religious beliefs.” The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Minority Morcha demanded legal action. Its president, Sumit George, declared, “Such wrong portrayals of religious belief cannot be accepted in the name of artistic freedom.” The Kochi Biennale Foundation responded by highlighting that Tom Vattakuzhy’s works in ‘Edam’ are mostly narrative paintings and illustrations. Many of his works have been published in reputed Malayalam magazines like Manorama and Bhashaposhini. The selection was carefully curated from hundreds of paintings created over decades. Curators K. M. Madhusudhanan and Aishwarya Suresh explained that the works are part of a broader discourse on storytelling, history, and visual art. They seek support from authorities to address objections during the exhibition. The Foundation stated that removing the artwork would restrict artistic freedom and could be seen as censorship. Bose Krishnamachari, president of the Kochi Muziris Biennale, emphasized these principles of cultural dialogue that the exhibition upholds. The situation remains sensitive as the debate continues on balancing respect for religious beliefs and freedom of artistic expression.