Gaston Lachaise “Standing Woman” / human bodies, vomit, food, drinks

(In 2006, the Milwaukee Museum of Art rented out its Quadracci Pavilion to the organizers of MartiniFest, a semi-formal event sponsored by Clear Channel Radio. During the event, a group of four men climbed onto Lachaise’s sculpture, groped her breasts while a friend documented the scene a camera phone, and splashed the work with drinks. Food, drink and vomit were also found on and near a number of other artworks by the end of the evening, and in the aftermath, two unnamed sculptures had to be removed from the gallery after sustaining damages.

The problem, according to the programming director for Clear Channel, was not the martinis but the price: “[The drinks were] probably too cheap…Hindsight is 20-20,” she said.)