Slovak Art Student Faces Cyberbullying Over Artwork Featuring Double Cross

A student at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava has become the target of online harassment following an exhibition of his semester project that included a photograph featuring the Slovak double cross symbol on a person's buttocks. Kristián Šmelko created the work as part of a series responding to current political developments and his personal experience of national identity. The artwork has sparked outrage among religious leaders, including prominent priest Marián Kuffa who protested outside parliament, as well as members of the Slovak National Party (SNS), a nationalist party that is part of the ruling coalition. The controversy has extended beyond artistic circles into Slovakia's disinformation networks, with the student now facing cyberbullying campaigns. The double cross is a national symbol of Slovakia and holds particular significance for the country's Christian population.