Activists target famous artworks at different museums

A SUMMARY OF THE MOST EXCITING ART NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

While we focus on Indian art, we can’t obviously function in a vacuum. It’s a small world and everything is connected, especially on the web. So, let’s train our spotlight across the world map to see what’s going on — from art trends to socio-political issues to everything that affects the great aesthetic global consciousness. Or, let’s just travel the world and have some fun!

\’Girl with a pearl earring\’ targeted by Belgian climate protestor

Two activists in Belgium have been sentenced to two months in prison for a protest in which one person glued their hand to the wall next to Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring while another attempted to paste his head to the painting. The painting was unharmed. According to the Guardian, the public prosecutor had requested four months in prison with two months suspended, saying in a hearing, “An artwork hanging there for all of us to enjoy has been smeared by defendants who felt their message took precedence over everything else.” In the end, the judge sentenced the protestors to two months of jail time, with one month suspended, saying that she did not want to discourage protest. A third protestor who did not want their trial fast tracked is still awaiting sentencing. Read more on Art news.

Pea soup thrown at Van Gogh painting

Climate activists threw soup at a Vincent van Gogh painting in Rome on Friday, in the latest targeting of a work of art by protesters. Four activists from the group Ultima Generazione (Italian for Last Generation) threw pea soup at Van Gogh’s “The Sower” at the Palazzo Bonaparte, and glued themselves to the wall of the museum, according to Reuters. The painting was not damaged, as it was protected by a glass screen. In a statement, Ultima Generazione said \”everything that we would have the right to see in our present and our future is being obscured by a real and imminent catastrophe, just as this pea puree has covered” the painting, according to Barron’s. Italy’s Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano condemned the attack and said culture “should be defended and protected and not used as a megaphone for other forms of protest.” More on Forbes.

Climate activists glue themselves to \’The Clothed Maja\’

Protestors from Spanish environmental activist group Futuro Vegetal apparently glued themselves on Saturday to Francisco Goya’s painting The Clothed Maja (circa 1800), which hangs in Madrid’s Prado Museum, and wrote “1.5 C” on the wall next to the painting. “Last week, the UN recognized the impossibility of staying below the Paris Agreement’s goal of staying below a 1.5 celsius degree change,” an account for Futuro Vegetal wrote on a Twitter post attached to a video of their action at the Prado. The UN report referenced by the activist group found that the Earth is on its way to temperature increase between 2.4 celsius and 2.6 celsius by the end of this century. Meanwhile, the Prado put out their own statement on Twitter. “We condemn the act of protest that has taken place in the museum. The works have not been damaged, though the frames are slightly damaged. We are working to get back to normal as soon as possible,” the post reads. “We reject endangering cultural heritage as a means of protest.” Read more on Art news.

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