Trump crucified in Switzerland

Trump on the Cross: "A Colossal Miscast"

Donald Trump will be on display at Basel's train station starting September 6th. He will be crucified – in the form of a work of art. Not everyone likes this. Christian believers feel their religious sensibilities are hurt. A theology professor offers his perspective.

US President Donald Trump will not only be strapped to a cross as a work of art in Basel, he will also wear orange prison garb. The crucified Trump will be almost life-size. The idea, "The Saint or The Sinner?" – the title of the art installation – comes from British artist Mason Storm.

The Zug-based gallery "Gleis 4" will be exhibiting his work starting September 6th in its new Basel branch, a former brasserie in the west wing of the SBB train station. "Gleis 4" is a contemporary art gallery with its headquarters in Zug and pop-up spaces throughout Switzerland, as can be seen on its website.

The artist Mason Storm became internationally known as a former collaborator of the mysterious street artist Banksy. He caused a stir, among other things, when he announced in 2010 that he wanted to unmask Banksy's face in one of his paintings. According to "Gleis 4," he has been wearing a mask himself ever since.

Storm frequently uses religious motifs in his paintings – he has even painted a Last Supper scene depicting Jesus and his apostles drinking Coke and eating McDonald's fries.

His artwork already sparked controversy at the Art Austria art fair in May. And now the "scandalous art" is coming to Basel – which, depending on your perspective, shows Donald Trump either strapped to an execution bed or strapped to a cross.

"As a Christian, I am deeply hurt by the artwork."

Not everyone likes Mason Storm's work and it has already caused considerable irritation, as a reader's letter to kath.ch underscores.

"As a Christian, I am deeply hurt by the artwork by 'Saint or Sinner,' which depicts Donald Trump in a form that uses or imitates Christian symbols. I find this work disrespectful and a direct attack on my faith," the reader told kath.ch, whose name is known to the editorial team.

Religious symbols provocatively mocked

"I respect the freedom of art, but even this has its limits when it distorts or mocks religious beliefs in a provocative way. Religious symbols are sacred to millions of people; they should not be instrumentalized to intensify political statements or to provoke for the sake of provocation," the reader continued.

The man urges the Catholic Church to comment on this incident and publicly position itself against such forms of degradation of faith. "I believe it is important that the Church raises its voice here, to protect the dignity of Christian symbols and to defend the religious feelings of its believers."

Simon Peng-Keller, Professor of Theology for Spiritual Care at the University of Zurich, is very critical of the artwork. The art-loving 56-year-old was previously a chaplain at the Palliative Care Competence Center of the University Hospital of Zurich. He says: "Art can be provocative, and it is good if it stimulates discussion."

Cheap card "Scandalous art"

Art is particularly stimulating when it opens up entrenched discussions, critically questions dominant perspectives, and resists the temptation to play the cheap "scandal art" card in the competition for the broadest possible attention.

He finds Mason Storm's work unconvincing, and not only in this respect. Quite the opposite. "Mason Storm's 'Saint or Sinner?' lacks the critical note against Donald Trump's obfuscating self-stylization as a victim. Instead of differentiating, this work confirms a currently dominant narrative—at least in the US and some social media channels—that serves highly questionable, anti-democratic purposes," says the Zurich theology professor.

"One could speak of a colossal miscasting: If one were to place Donald Trump in the Passion story, his place would not be on the side of the crucified, but rather on that of the representatives of the brutal Roman Empire, who wash their hands of guilt and, in their fortresses and palaces, issue decrees that plunge countless people into poverty, misery, and death."

"Even Saints are sinners"

For Simon Peng-Keller, the title "Saint or Sinner" is also polarizing and oversimplifying. It presents an alternative that, theologically, is none at all. "Even saints are sinners, and that the president in question is not a saint is not even disputed by those who elected him."

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