Honoring the Art Restorer Who Inspired Us All
There are few career paths where a professional mishap leads to great success, but Cecilia Giménez found one. The Spanish artist, who died this week at the age of 94, rose to fame and notoriety in the 2010s for her delightful “restoration” of “Ecce Homo,” a fresco of Jesus in a Zaragoza church. The face that launched a million memes, affectionately known as “Beast Jesus,” may not have inspired religious ecstasy, but it birthed a cultural icon. Today, Staff Writer Isa Farfan commemorates Giménez’s life and improbable legacy alongside a selection of “Beast Jesus” stories from our archive.
Speaking of icons, Heated Rivalry, the hit Canadian show about two hockey stars who fall for each other and navigate their sexuality, is quickly on its way to cult status. Staff Writer Rhea Nayyar examines the meme trends inspired by the steamy queer series, many of them harvested by Hyperallergic’s very own Heated Rivalry fan, co-founder and Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian.
— Valentina Di Liscia, senior editor
Cecilia Giménez, Whose Botched Restoration Became an Icon, Dies at 94
The Spanish artist delighted the world with her intervention on a church fresco lovingly dubbed “Beast Jesus.” | Isa Farfan
Black Mountain College Prize Awarded to Rosana Paulino Each year, Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center awards a $20,000 grant to an artist based anywhere in the world working in the spirit of BMC.
News
So much for watching it for the plot.
We’ve Been at the Tapestry Studio Since the 90s This exhibition at Salt explores the Tapestry Studio’s approach to art education and production.
From the Archive
An early meme of the “Beast Jesus” restoration, c. 2012
A Pilgrimage to Beast Jesus
Cecilia Giménez’s botched restoration of a small fresco in Spain looks as entrancingly bad in person as it does in pictures. | Sabine Heinlein
Worshipping at the Altar of Beast Jesus
Since Cecilia Giménez Zueco transformed Elías García Martínez’s “Ecce Homo” into the viral sensation “Monkey Jesus,” the Santuario de Misericordia has been turned into an interactive tribute to the two artists’ improbable collaboration. | Sabine Heinlein
Our Prayers Are Answered as Beast Jesus Stars in a Comic Opera
It is the botched restoration that just keeps giving. | Claire Boon
Nevada Museum of Art Presents the 2026 Art + Environment Summit: Under Pressure This three-day gathering features Kim Stanley Robinson, Jeffrey Gibson, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Rose B. Simpson, and many more. April 16–18, 2026.
Holly Wong on Hyperallergic’s “The 20 Most Powerless People in the Art World: 2025 Edition”:
Thank you as always for being the voice of [the] conscious. This article summarizes feelings I have about our current moment but just couldn’t articulate “all the things.” While no list could be completely inclusive, yours does an amazing job of putting words to why it all feels so bad. It almost is cathartic to see it laid out so well here. Thanks and have a restful holiday.