LONDON: Climate protesters have been making stunts that attract eyeballs for months now. In an effort to attract attention, some of these activists have vandalized dozens of masterpieces.
In an effort to do the same, two activists attacked the famed Van Gogh’s “Sunflower” painting in the National Gallery, London.
Van Gogh created “Sunflowers” in the year 1888 and 89 and is one of the seven Sunflowers works.
Reports suggest that the activists are from a group called “Just Stop Oil”. Their demand is that the UK government will halt all future licensing, exploration and development of fossil fuels in the UK.
On Friday, just after 11 a.m. the Just Stop Oil entered the National Gallery in London and threw two cans of tomato soup, vandalised van Gogh’s “Sunflowers“.
The official website of Just Stop Oil contains video footage of those activists vandalising Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting. As a note, Just Stop Oil added “The Van Gogh painting was behind glass and remains unharmed.”
The mucky liquid flowed down the painting slowly as the activists made their statements on protecting the environment and the ongoing oil crisis.
One of the activists referenced on “the importance of art or life, cost of living and climate change”.
Previous to the incident, the painting was in the Room 43 of the National Gallery. It is also stated that the frame suffered from minor damages whereas fortunately, the painting is unharmed.
Fortunately, Van Gogh’s painting is back on display after the stunt. You could admire it in the Room 34 when you visit the National Gallery, London. Both the activists were arrested in the process.
Similar incident took place three months before the one we are looking at right now. Members of the same group pasted paper over John Constable’s “The Hay Wain” .
In an effort to attract attention, activists are trying to pull out a stunt of vandalising or gluing certain painting masterpieces. Many incidents like these have happened in recent years.
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