X Factor Jesus fails to get Tfl's vote

The Guardian reports that:

"The artwork shows a bound Jesus being judged by an X-Factor-style jury and for 40 days it will hang over worshippers in the church where Byron was christened. But while the Church of England has welcomed the image, it has led to an unholy row with Transport for London.

TfL has taken exception to the piece by artist Antony Micallef that was scheduled to appear on tube platform posters during Lent, alongside other contemporary art interpretations of the passion of Christ that have been deemed acceptable by the transport authority.

Micallef said he was disappointed by the veto. "I am angry because it is censorship, it is someone taking a quick decision on behalf of someone else and it is silly. It is not offensive. I don't understand why the church said yes and the tube said no."

The black-and-white painting plays with the idea of how Jesus would be judged in 2014, and shows him before a smiling panel of four judges. Instead of Pop Idol on the desk, it says "Kill Your Idol"."

Art Below is presenting an exhibition of 20 artists representations of the Passion of Christ in London’s St. Marylebone’s Parish Church for 40 days, in support of the Missing Tom Fund. The exhibition includes work by commission4mission's Christopher Clack.

The exhibition runs for 40 days to coincide with Lent. The exhibition is open to the public whilst the works are also intended for prayer and meditation within the parish congregation.

To coincide with the exhibition, public arts enterprise Art Below is showcasing some of the 14 works on billboard space throughout the London Underground at stations that have a symbolic link with the theme, including King’s Cross, Marylebone, Marble Arch, St. Paul’s, Angel, Temple and Tower Hill.

6th March – 17th April 2014 St. Marylebone Parish Church Marylebone Road London, NW1 5LT.

‘Stations of the Cross’ is the second exhibition to be curated by Art Below founder Ben Moore to raise proceeds for the Missing Tom Fund. With the support of his family and the Missing People Charity, Moore set up the Missing Tom Fund in 2013 to raise money for the search for his older brother Tom who has been missing for 10 years.

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Alexandra Burke - Hallelujah.