Artwork Damaged at Italy Art Exhibition Opening
Ai Weiwei's Piece Knocked Over and Lifted Above Head
Perpetrator Notorious in Art World... "Shocking Behavior"
At an art exhibition in Italy, a work by a world-renowned contemporary artist was damaged. On the 25th (local time), the Associated Press reported that "a 57-year-old Czech man was arrested on charges of damaging an artwork at the opening ceremony of the 'Who Am I?' exhibition by Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei, held at the Palazzo Fava Museum in Bologna, Italy."
According to CCTV footage shared by Ai Weiwei on social media, the man was seen wandering near the wall, then approaching the artwork and pushing it over with his hand. He even lifted the broken fragments above his head. The damaged piece was a large blue and white 'Porcelain Cube.' This cube is made of porcelain with hexagonal edges, standing 1.2 meters tall and weighing 100 kg. It is reported to be worth approximately 300,000 euros (about 446 million KRW).
The damaged artwork is currently covered with a cloth and stored away. Arturo Galansino, the exhibition curator, stated, "Even if replaced, the original value cannot be restored," and added, "We have decided to leave the spot empty during the exhibition." The broken piece will be replaced with a life-sized print and a panel explaining the incident.
He further described the man's act of damaging the artwork as "reckless and irresponsible," noting, "Considering that several works in this exhibition explore the theme of 'destruction,' the man's destructive act against the 'Porcelain Cube' is even more shocking."
The man is reportedly notorious in the art world for having attacked several artworks before. Last year, he was arrested after climbing naked onto a statue, and in 2018, he damaged another artwork, claiming, "I did it for my art." Galansino described him as "a habitual troublemaker who damages artists, artworks, monuments, and institutions to attract attention."
The man was restrained by security guards at the scene and handed over to the police. Police investigations confirmed that he entered the exhibition venue without permission to carry out the act. However, how he accessed the private event remains unknown.
Ai Weiwei, originally from Beijing, China, is a pioneering figure in contemporary art who was ranked number one in the 2011 Power 100 list of the global art world by the prestigious British art magazine ArtReview. He values freedom of expression and has been blacklisted for opposing the Chinese government's oppression. He is also famous for a photograph secretly taken in 1995 showing his middle finger at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, where the June 4th incident occurred in 1989.
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