Border Around Abandoned Church
The intersection of conservative Christianity and right-wing populism in Europe has been a subject of much discussion in recent years. The trend has been particularly pronounced in Poland and Hungary, but the rhetoric of right-wing populists in secularised Western European countries has also incorporated elements of Christianity. In France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Finland, for instance, populists advocating for tough border policies have often depicted Muslim migrants as a monolithic group that poses a threat to European Christian values and civilisation. In this context, Christianity serves not only as a religion, but also as a secular identity and cultural marker to distinguish Europeans from outsiders.
In the installation, Herttoniemi Church, abandoned due to air quality issues, is encircled by European Union border signs. In the work, the church left by the congregation and the surrounding EU border are juxtaposed with political movements dressed in the clothes of Christianity and their ominous threat-constructing policies in Europe
In the installation, Herttoniemi Church, abandoned due to air quality issues, is encircled by European Union border signs. In the work, the church left by the congregation and the surrounding EU border are juxtaposed with political movements dressed in the clothes of Christianity and their ominous threat-constructing policies in Europe
Work info
JP Kaljonen, Border Around Abandoned Church, public installation, Finland 2020