Gerda Taro, various photographs / paint

In August 2016, an open-air installation of Taro’s war photography was vandalized while on view in Leipzig, Germany. The works, which depict scenes of conflict including the Spanish Civil War, were covered in black paint on the night of Wednesday, 3 August. 

The exhibition’s organizers stated, “How a work of art is handled in the public space is always a litmus test for the state of a community. Unlike the ‘protected space’ of a museum or gallery, a work in the public realm is under the protection of us all.” 

The organizers believe the act was “politically motivated” and a police investigation has been launched.