A Tourist In Italy Destroyed A "Van Gogh" Chair In A Museum While Trying To Pose With It
“We are sharing this episode not only for the sake of reporting, but to start a real awareness campaign on the value of art and the respect it deserves,”
A tourist has been filmed accidentally destroying a crystal-covered chair artwork by sitting on it while posing for a photo at a museum in Italy.
The incident happened in April at the Palazzo Maffei in Verona but was made public on June 12, when the museum shared the CCTV footage and a statement calling on visitors to “respect art.”
The video showed two visitors taking turns to pose for photos, pretending to be sitting on the chair for photos.
However, when the man attempted the pose, he slipped and fell, crushing the chair underneath him.
The chair, crafted from thousands of Swarovski crystals, was created by artist Nicola Bolla and inspired by artist Vincent van Gogh’s chair.
A spokesperson for the museum said that the couple waited until security staff had left the room before approaching the piece, but fled without informing anyone after they broke the chair.
The museum said it had informed the police but the two have yet to be identified.
“The nightmare of every museum has become a reality, even at Palazzo Maffei,” the museum wrote in a Facebook post.
Staff said they initially feared the artwork was beyond repair, but thanks to expert restoration efforts, the chair has now been put back in place.
“We are sharing this episode not only for the sake of reporting, but to start a real awareness campaign on the value of art and the respect it deserves,” the museum said.
A resident historian at the museum told the BBC, Anyone should enter art places, or museums, or churches or wherever art is displayed in a more respectful way.
“Art must be respected and loved, because it is very fragile,” they said.
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