The Vatican issues a stamp depicting a street art work, the artist files a complaint

Usually quicker to share bread than its copyright, the Vatican finds itself this time on the dock.

Alessia Babrow, an Italian street artist, criticizes the post office of the Holy See for using one of her works without permission to illustrate a series of stamps.

Faced with the silence of the Catholic institution - which has not even credited it with its philatelic misappropriation - makes its multiple requests, it is now claiming compensation of 130,000 euros.

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“

”Alessia Babrow told The

.

“

” she added.

A case of bad faith?

The work in question dates from 2019 and takes up in contemporary sauce

by the German painter Heinrich Hofmann

On the torso of Christ the artist added a heart and entered the saying "

" ( "

").

The print is part of a series comprising other deities, not necessarily Christians, who have undergone the same treatment.

It was displayed in several places in the streets of Rome at the beginning of 2019. According to the artist, the message is meant to be holistic and not religious.

The work in question dates from 2019 and takes up in contemporary sauce

by the German painter Heinrich Hofmann

Facebook screenshot: Alessia Babrow

Falling by chance on one of his representations, Massimo Olivieri, the director of the Vatican philatelic office, explained to the Italian press that he had taken a photo of it to illustrate his collection of Easter stamps. According to the data used during the trial, 80,000 copies were published and sold at a price of 1.15 euros. It was another artist, having recognized the reproduction of the work, who alerted Alessia Babrow.

Massimo Sterpi, a Roman lawyer specializing in copyright, including street art, told The

that intellectual property law in much of Europe and the United States protects the rights of artists, even if a work has been created illegally on public or private property. The Vatican's status as a micro-state should not be a thorn in the side of the defense, the sale of the stamps having been carried out with Italy. For its part, the Holy See did not wish to speak publicly on the matter.