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Archive photograph of the previous version: stone statue of Justice, blindfolded, sword raised, scales in hand.

Previous version1543

Themis, allegory of Justice, in a virtual reality headset, with a pixelated sword and shield, white sports socks and sliders.

Current version2026

Hans Gieng, Justice, Bern Historical Museum

Photo: Sailko, via Wikimedia Commons, resizedLicence CC BY 3.0Image source

Acc. no. GLI.2026.009 109

Justice

Cardinal virtue; according to Aratus, she left the world of men.

At the GLiTCH Museum, Department of Contemporary Antiquities.

Marble, virtual reality headset, pixels, white sports socks.

Next version Marble. The blindfold will be a real virtual reality headset.

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Catalogue entry

Record GLI.2026.009
Work 9 of 13

Materials depicted
Marble, virtual reality headset, pixels, white sports socks.Shoe size: 5 (UK).
Provenance
Waiting area of a magistrates’ court. Hearing adjourned.
Condition report
Good. Online. Do not unplug.
Related work
Sebastian Brant, The Ship of Fools, Basel, 1494: a fool blindfolds Justice.

Commentary

Daughter of Uranus and Gaia, Themis embodies divine law and order in Greek mythology. Lady Justice, her descendant, holds scales for fairness and a sword for punishment.

The blindfold appears at the end of the fifteenth century, and at first as mockery: one of the earliest known images, in the Ship of Fools of 1494, shows a fool tying a blindfold over the eyes of Justice. The meaning has since been reversed; it now stands for impartiality.

Here, the scales have been replaced by a shield. The Curatorial Department was not consulted.

Previous version

Hans Gieng, Justice, 1543, original statue from the Justice Fountain, Bern Historical Museum. Blindfolded since 1543.

Photo: Sailko, via Wikimedia Commons, resizedLicence CC BY 3.0Image source

See both versions
References2 references

Digital composition by Aël, updated with the help of artificial intelligence. Glitch: original.