Tourist shatters crystal-encrusted 'Van Gogh' chair at exhibition in Italy

(PLVN) - A shocking moment was captured by security cameras at an art gallery in Verona, Italy, when a tourist carelessly sat on an art chair covered in Swarovski crystals - named after the famous painter Van Gogh - causing serious damage to this fragile work of art.

This thoughtless action has sparked a wave of strong reactions from art lovers as well as museum management.

The Van Gogh chair, designed by Italian artist Nicola Bolla, is on display at the Palazzo Maffei in Verona. Covered in hundreds of Swarovski crystals, the piece has been described by local media as “incredibly fragile and delicate”.

However, despite the fragile nature of the artifact, a tourist took the opportunity to take a photo with the chair without any sense of protecting the work. In the surveillance video , a man and a woman are seen posing with the chair in an empty room. At first, the woman leans forward to create the effect of sitting on the chair. But the man then actually sits on it, causing the chair to immediately bend and lean against the wall. The two then quickly leave the scene.

Immediately after the incident, the museum’s social media accounts issued an official statement, calling it a “nightmare.” In the statement, the museum wrote:

“Every museum’s nightmare came true, even at Palazzo Maffei. Without any staff present, some visitors took ‘live action’ photos. The result was an irresponsible act that caused serious damage to Nicola Bolla’s ‘Van Gogh’ chair – an extremely delicate work completely covered with hundreds of Swarovski crystals.”

Initially, the museum was unsure whether the work could be restored due to the severity of the damage. However, thanks to talented restorers and the support of Italian authorities, the work was successfully restored.

In a follow-up message, the museum shared: “We share this not just to inform, but to start a campaign to raise awareness about the value of art and the respect it deserves.”

The museum also sends its sincere thanks to the police, security and restoration team, and expresses its gratitude to everyone who walks through the museum with respect, care and admiration. “Because art is not just to be looked at. Art is to be loved. Art is to be protected.”

Viet Vu (synthesis)

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/khach-du-lich-lam-vo-nat-ghe-van-gogh-dinh-pha-le-trong-trien-lam-tai-y-post551893.html