Another instance of the transformative power of virality brings us to a small church in the Spanish village of Borja. A deteriorating painting once known as Ecco Homo resided here for many years when a beloved parishioner took it upon herself to improve the work in 2012. However, she lacked the touch of a skilled restorer, and the suffering countenance of Jesus Christ was subsequently rebaptized by the media as Monkey Christ, Potato Jesus or Beast Jesus. While the aesthetic results were disastrous, thousands of curious internet pilgrims descended, bringing a tourism boom to the town. This meme-fied conversion of destruction to creation inspired MSCHF’s series Botched Masters. The collective purchased a handful of historical paintings, then “restored” aspects of each work, hoping to emulate the indie magic of Borja. In “destroying” the work, does their hand bring new value to the revised creation? Still to be scripted.
Original Painting: Fernando Botero, "Fumador de Cigarrillos" 1975.