Footage of an unidentified man being detained after vandalizing photographs by Jock Sturges’ on September 25, 2016 while on display at the Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography in Moscow. Posing as a journalist in order to gain entry into the show (which was, at the time, being “occupied” by protesters from the Officers of Russia), the man sprayed the photos with urine he’d smuggled in with a plastic water bottle.
(More information on that incident HERE)
Various photographs by Alyaksandr Vasyukovich and Sergei Loyko / spraypaint
On September 28, a man named Anton Belikov sprayed red paint upon prints taken by two photographers—Alyaksandr Vasyukovich of Belarus and Ukraine’s Sergei Loyko—while the works were on view at the Center of Documentary Photography in Moscow.
The photos depicted soldiers stationed in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where government forces have been fighting against Russia-backed separatists since April 2014. Belikov, who described himself as an artist,entered the space and, while being filmed, sprayed the works while denouncing the photographers as “fascists.”
He later posted on social media that he would cooperate with authorities if they decided to bring suit. The prints themselves were damaged beyond repair.
UPDATE:
Following Belikov’s actions, the damaged photos had been replaced with signs saying they would not be restored, since “a public conversation about the war in Ukraine as a tragedy is, unfortunately, impossible in our city,” Sergey Lukashevsky, the director of the Sakharov Center, told the independent Dozhd television channel.
Still, the following day, on September 29, more protesters entered the space and tore down the signs. They also carried a red liquid they labelled “the blood of children killed in Donbass [a region in eastern Ukraine],” Lukashevsky said. In a Facebook post, the center wrote that the attackers shouted: “Rub out those jackasses and save Russia.” It appears that no criminal charges have been filed.
Various photographs by Alyaksandr Vasyukovich and Sergei Loyko / spraypaint
On September 28, a man named Anton Belikov sprayed red paint upon prints taken by two photographers—Alyaksandr Vasyukovich of Belarus and Ukraine’s Sergei Loyko—while the works were on view at the Center of Documentary Photography in Moscow.
The photos depicted soldiers stationed in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where government forces have been fighting against Russia-backed separatists since April 2014. Belikov, who described himself as an artist,entered the space and, while being filmed, sprayed the works while denouncing the photographers as “fascists.”
He later posted on social media that he would cooperate with authorities if they decided to bring suit. The prints themselves were damaged beyond repair.
UPDATE:
Following Belikov’s actions, the damaged photos had been replaced with signs saying they would not be restored, since “a public conversation about the war in Ukraine as a tragedy is, unfortunately, impossible in our city,” Sergey Lukashevsky, the director of the Sakharov Center, told the independent Dozhd television channel.
Still, the following day, on September 29, more protesters entered the space and tore down the signs. They also carried a red liquid they labelled “the blood of children killed in Donbass [a region in eastern Ukraine],” Lukashevsky said. In a Facebook post, the center wrote that the attackers shouted: “Rub out those jackasses and save Russia.” It appears that no criminal charges have been made.
Anish Kapoor “Dirty Corner” (2011) / paint
This public sculpture has been vandalized on numerous occasions.
In one instance, when the work was covered in anti-Semitic slurs including “SS blood sacrifice,” “the second RAPE of the nation by DEVIANT JEWISH activism,” and “Christ is King in Versailles,” (the artist’s mother is Jewish), Kapoor opted not to go through the effort of cleaning it again. It was an act of protest, but it was not without consequences: In response, right-wing politician Fabien Bougle took the artist to court for displaying the offensive slurs, “inciting racial hatred, public insults, and complicity in these crimes.”
Later, in June 2015, unknown perpetrators vandalized this work while it was installed in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles in Paris, splattering the inside of the conical artwork with yellow paint. Ultimately, the graffiti remained (although covered up with gold leaf in accordance with the court’s ruling), and the work was put into storage. A second appearance is in the works—Kapoor said it was going to “some remote place” in Denmark
The public work gained notoriety after the artist reportedly described it as a symbol of “the vagina of the queen who took power.” Kapoor later insisted that the vandalism had been “an inside job” perpetrated by the Palace itself for political reasons.
Jock Sturges, various images / urine
On Sunday, September 25, 2016, a visitor used urine to attack a series of framed images on display at the Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography in Moscow.
Following senator Yelena Mizulina’s condemning of Sturges’ exhibition “No Embarrassment” as “propaganda of paedophilia” (it included images of naked school-age girls), the exhibition was stormed by a group of men from Officers of Russia, a public organization which says it unites more than 100,000 veteran and active military officers. During their “occupation,” an unidentified man (who’d gained entry by claiming to be a journalist) sprayed what appeared to be urine from a plastic bottle; it was unclear whether the man was a member of the Officers or was acting on his own volition.
In the wake of the incident, the gallery closed down the exhibition. The images themselves do not appear to have been damaged.
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.
Statue of Dom Sebastiao, 1890 / tourist
In May 2016, a tourist unwittingly destroyed this work while visiting Lisbon’s Rossio Railway Station. Hoping to take a selfie with the life-size replica of the 16th-century Portuguese king, the 24-year-old man climbed up on the statue’s pedestal; the statue promptly toppled and fell to the ground, shattering on impact.
The tourist tried to flee the scene but was apprehended by security. He is currently awaiting trial.
James Borden, wooden clock, 1994 / man
In June 2016, a visitor damaged this handmade wooden timepiece while visiting Pennsylvania’s National Watch and Clock Museum. With his companion looking on, the man handled the wall-mounted work for a full minute, pulling and swaying its movable parts until it crashed to the floor and fractured.
After initially trying to rehang the broken work, the couple notified museum staff and confessed. They are not expected to face prosecution; the damage to the work was thought to be reversible.
Shelly Xue, “Angel is Waiting” 2014 / children
During a rowdy visit to the Shanghai Museum of Glass in May 2016, two children fractured this wall-mounted glasswork as their adult chaperones looked on, filming the proceedings with their phones.
Rather than fix the damage, Xue has decided to continue showing the work as-is, changing its title to “Broken.”
Interestingly, the museum has since installed a monitor next to the work, playing surveillance footage of the incident on a continual loop. Though not explicitly stated, the move was presumably intended as a cautionary tale for future visitors.
Arthur Köpcke “Reading-Work Piece,” c. 1965 / ballpoint pen
In July 2016, a 91-year-old woman unwittingly defaced this work while it was on view at Nuremberg’s Neues Museum. Not realizing the piece (which closely resembles a crossword and features the phrase “insert words”) was not actually meant to be touched, the woman used a pen to begin filling in phrases.
Though apologetic, she insisted that the museum’s presentation had been confusing, as the exhibition had numerous interactive artworks and the Köpcke piece was not accompanied by any notices warning visitors not to act upon the artist’s invitation to fill in the spaces.
Museum representatives believed the damage could be reversed.
Ancient carvings / sharp object
In July 2016, two boys used a sharp object to outline a 5,000-year-old historical carving on the island of Tro in Norway, thought to be among the earliest known depictions of skiing anywhere in the world. The boys apparently had good intentions, hoping to “fix” the carving by making it more visible. They also defaced a carving of a whale which formed part of the same hunting scene. In both cases, the damage was believed to be permanent.
The two boys issued a public apology but face possible prosecution under Norway’s Cultural Heritage Act.
Paolo Porpora, Flowers, 17th century / fist
On August 24, 2015, a 12-year-old boy damaged this painting while it was on view at Huashan 1914 Creative Park in Taiwan. Walking past the work, the boy accidentally lost his footing and ended up punching a fist-sized tear through the canvas. Museum officials were confident that the damage was repairable.
Andy Warhol “Marilyn” (various canvases) / gunfire
In the fall of 1964, a set of Warhol’s silkscreen series were damaged by artist Dorothy Podber during a visit to Warhol’s E 47th St studio. Dressed in black leather, white gloves and accompanied by a Great Dane called Carmen Miranda, Podber asked Warhol if she could shoot some of his paintings. Assuming she meant with a camera, Warhol agreed. Podber then produced a pistol and fired at a stack of paintings, penetrating four canvases through the portrait’s brow. One of the works, repaired and re-titled “Shot Red Marilyn,“ was eventually sold for $4 million in 1989, at the time setting a record at auction for a Warhol work.
Robert Indiana, “Seven” / spray paint
On December 13, 2014, this steel statue was vandalized while on permanent display outside the Portland Museum of Art. The responsible party, still unidentified, spray painted the words “FUCK ART” near the work’s base. Conservators applied a solvent over several days in an attempt to remove the graffiti; it remains visible, but not noticeable without careful inspection.
Michael Asher, Untitled, 1991 / sledgehammer
On the evening of January 13, 2015, a masked individual on a “wrecking spree” took a sledgehammer to this granite sculpture while it was on public display at UC San Diego’s campus.
During his spree, the individual also damaged the campus’s Chancellor Building and smashed a junction box on the roof to disable several security cameras. He also destroyed eight individual cameras. The perpetrator then spray painted “You can paint over me, you can catch me, you can expel me, I will still be here,” on a wall in gold paint. He also sprayed “private property” on the wall of the Geisel Library.
Asher’s sculpture was destroyed beyond repair; the individual remains at large.
Video footage showing the aftermath of the March 2014 vandalism of Prada Marfa
Elmgreen & Dragset “Prada Marfa” / various
The exterior of this outdoor installation, a simulated Prada storefront created by Elmgreen & Dragset, was extensively damaged in March 2014. In addition to being covered in sprayed and written graffiti, the small structure was splattered in blue paint and covered in signs for popular espadrilles brand TOMS shoes; politically themed pamphlets were also scattered on the premises. The pamphlets included the following:
“TOMS Marfa will bring greater inspiration to consumer Americans to give all they have to developing nations that suffer disease starvation and corruption … So long as you buy TOMS shoes, and endorse Jesus Christ as your savior, welcoming the ‘white’ him into your heart. So help you God, otherwise your damned to hell … Welcome to your Apocalypse?…The irony of Prada Marfa, it’s fake. Prada Marfa has no representation of Texas and Southwest North America. Prada Marfa is a relic of a Bourgeois not so distant past; serving today’s hyper reality of a blank canvas.”
The responsible party was eventually identified as Waco resident Joseph Magnano. Magnano, an artist/activist who tagged under the moniker “9271997,” apparently conceived the act as both political activism and artistic gesture. He eventually plead guilty to two counts of misdemeanor criminal mischief, thereby escaping jail time. On top of a $1,000 fine, Magnano paid an additional $10,700 in restitution to Ballroom Marfa, the nonprofit organization which commissioned and maintains the installation. Using that money, the edifice was able to be restored.
In a subsequent written interview, Magnano attempted to explain his actions:
“I didn’t appreciate Prada Marfa. It seemed to portray this image of persevering the iconic, the elite, the brand. I am really interested in modernization, reorientation, and the meaning of a temporary structure. As well, watching the tourist drive up to get their picture seemed very plastic culture, amusement park like… I see a sculpture like “Prada Marfa,” keeps society compressed into a certain reality, which isn’t necessarily true. I mean, who wants to be defined by consumerism and branding? I sure the hell don’t, so I wanted to test and reorientate the meaning of Prada Marfa…I didn’t target Prada, because Prada is so 2005. Prada is too high-end for the majority of Americans. TOMS isn’t, though. TOMS fits the mainstream bill … considering all the austerity and cooperate governing that takes place; America seems to have become more of a TOMS brand, instead of Prada.”
He also denied having any particular problem with the artists themselves:
“Using “Prada Marfa” as a canvas was not in anyway an attack on the artists. In fact, I am grateful they created “Prada Marfa,” because without it, TOMS Marfa couldn’t have temporarily existed. I’m not familiar with any of their [other] work. I didn’t even know they made “Prada Marfa” until I researched it.”
This was not the first time the installation had been vandalized. Just days after its 2005 opening, unidentified parties attempted to tear the doors out using a chain; over the years, taggers have made regular use of the building’s exterior. In each instance, the damage was able to be repaired.
Claude Monet “Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sailboat” (1874) / fist
Just before 11am on June 29, 2012, 49-year-old Andrew Shannon punched a hole through this work while it was on view at Ireland’s National Gallery. Security footage of the incident shows Shannon standing in front of the painting for a moment before suddenly lunging into it fist-first. While Shannon would later claim that he had fell ill and lost his balance, Irish police claimed his act was in fact “a bid to get back at the State.” (Upon his arrest, police also found a can of paint stripper concealed on his person.) Shannon was eventually convicted and sentenced to six years in prison, the final 15 months suspended on strict conditions which ban him from entering any public spaces that hold or display painted artworks. 18 months after the original incident, the Monet was able to be restored and put back on display.
Jeff Koons retrospective / spray paint
On October 18, 2014, a man later identified as Christopher Johnson, 33, tagged a fourth-floor wall in the Whitney Museum’s Jeff Koons retrospective, spray-painting an unintelligible string of letters in black paint. Johnson was promptly apprehended and charged with criminal mischief, making graffiti, possession of a graffiti instrument and criminal nuisance.
The Koons exhibition had already been vandalized a few months earlier; in both cases, however, no artworks were damaged.
Click HERE to view footage of the incident as it transpired.
Paul McCarthy “Tree” / deflated
On October 16, 2014, this 80-ft work was torn down and ultimately deflated after a short but controversial installation in Paris' Place Vendôme.
The piece, which had been installed as part of the FIAC art festival, was supposedly intended to represent a Christmas tree (according to McCarthy) but had caused outrage among many Parisians - most visibly, the French conservative group Printemps Français (“A giant 24-metre butt plug has been erected at Place Vendome,” the group tweeted. “Place Vendome disfigured, Paris humiliated!”) - due to its apparent resemblance to an anal plug sex toy, prompting calls for city authorities to remove it. Feelings were so strong that McCarthy was actually slapped in the face three times by passers-by as the artwork was being unveiled.
After a short stint on display, unidentified perpetrators took matters into their own hands, cutting the cords that held the work upright. Once fallen, FIAC decided to deflate and remove the work without intentions of re-installing it.