Viral Video: ‘Van Gogh' chair shattered after tourist sits on it for photo in Italy
A tourist's reckless behaviour at the Palazzo Maffei museum in Verona, Italy, has sparked widespread criticism after he broke a delicate art installation while attempting to pose for a photo. The damaged piece, called the 'Van Gogh' chair, is a fragile artwork created by Italian artist Nicola Bolla. It is covered entirely in Swarovski crystals and was inspired by Vincent van Gogh's famous painting of a simple wooden chair.
CCTV footage from the museum shows the man ignoring signs that clearly warned visitors not to touch the artwork. While his female companion only pretended to sit, he fully lowered himself onto the chair. The structure, not built to bear weight, collapsed under him. As he lost balance, he reached out to a nearby wall for support before the chair gave way completely. The woman then helped him up, and the pair quickly left the room without informing museum staff of the damage.
The museum condemned the act, calling it 'superficial' and 'disrespectful.' Director Vanessa Carlon said the tourists 'deliberately waited for the room to be empty,' describing the incident as 'distressing.' She noted that while the damage may not have been intentional, their decision to flee was 'unacceptable.'
Initially, there were concerns that the artwork might not be repairable. However, restorers have since managed to fix it. The museum expressed thanks to police, security, and restoration experts for their quick response. The cost of the repairs has not been disclosed, and it is unclear if the tourists will face any legal action.
The incident has reignited debate over tourist behaviour in cultural spaces, with many social media users criticising the obsession with selfies and viral content at the expense of respecting art and history.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
11 hours ago
- Mint
Viral Video: ‘Van Gogh' chair shattered after tourist sits on it for photo in Italy
A tourist's reckless behaviour at the Palazzo Maffei museum in Verona, Italy, has sparked widespread criticism after he broke a delicate art installation while attempting to pose for a photo. The damaged piece, called the 'Van Gogh' chair, is a fragile artwork created by Italian artist Nicola Bolla. It is covered entirely in Swarovski crystals and was inspired by Vincent van Gogh's famous painting of a simple wooden chair. CCTV footage from the museum shows the man ignoring signs that clearly warned visitors not to touch the artwork. While his female companion only pretended to sit, he fully lowered himself onto the chair. The structure, not built to bear weight, collapsed under him. As he lost balance, he reached out to a nearby wall for support before the chair gave way completely. The woman then helped him up, and the pair quickly left the room without informing museum staff of the damage. The museum condemned the act, calling it 'superficial' and 'disrespectful.' Director Vanessa Carlon said the tourists 'deliberately waited for the room to be empty,' describing the incident as 'distressing.' She noted that while the damage may not have been intentional, their decision to flee was 'unacceptable.' Initially, there were concerns that the artwork might not be repairable. However, restorers have since managed to fix it. The museum expressed thanks to police, security, and restoration experts for their quick response. The cost of the repairs has not been disclosed, and it is unclear if the tourists will face any legal action. The incident has reignited debate over tourist behaviour in cultural spaces, with many social media users criticising the obsession with selfies and viral content at the expense of respecting art and history.
Mint
2 days ago
- Mint
Stolen in 5 minutes: Thieves get jailed for stealing 18-carat gold toilet, called America: Check how much it's worth
Two men from Oxford have been jailed for stealing a £4.8 million ($6.5 million) gold toilet. The crime took place during an art show at Blenheim Palace in 2019. The solid 18-carat gold toilet is called America. It was stolen just after a launch party at the palace. The artwork was created by Italian visual artist Maurizio Cattelan, who became popular after creating the viral artwork of a fresh banana duct-taped to a wall. James Sheen, 40, admitted to burglary and selling the stolen gold. Michael Jones, 39, was found guilty of burglary, the BBC reported. Sheen was sentenced to four years, and Jones got two years and three months. The court called it a 'bold and brazen' theft that took just over five minutes. Sheen's DNA, gold pieces in his clothes and messages on his phone helped convict him. Senior crown prosecutor Shan Saunders said it was rare to find so much information on one phone. During the trial, jurors heard voice notes from Sheen to Fred Doe, who was earlier found guilty of planning to sell the stolen gold toilet. The messages were hard to understand because they used coded words, Romany slang and Cockney rhyming slang. Sheen used 'car' as a code for gold. " The car is what it is mate, innit? The car is as good as money," the BBC quoted him as saying. Just two weeks after the theft, Sheen sold 20kg of gold for £520,000 ($707,200). He had a long criminal past, having been jailed at least six times since 2005. Sheen is already serving 19 years for other crimes and will now serve an extra four years for this heist. Jones, who has a criminal past, visited Blenheim Palace twice before the theft. On Sheen's order, he booked a slot to use the toilet, took photos and checked the layout. He later called the golden toilet 'splendid'. Judge Ian Pringle KC said Jones had helped plan the theft by mapping the fastest way in and out. Detective Superintendent Bruce Riddell called Sheen the mastermind, who wanted to 'make money by any means necessary'. "Jones also played a key part in the burglary, as he carried out two recces at Blenheim Palace in the days leading up to the burglary, and it is our belief that he also was there on the night," Riddell said.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Japanese woman finds boss in her bed wearing only underwear, calls police
A bizarre and deeply unsettling case from Japan has ignited outrage on social media after a young woman came home during her lunch break only to find her boss lying in her bed wearing nothing but his underwear, reported the South China Morning Post. The woman, in her 20s, who lives in Fukuoka Prefecture in western Japan, had returned to her apartment briefly to collect some belongings. Upon entering, she discovered her 47-year-old supervisor from work lying in her bed. She calmly left the apartment, shut the door behind her, and immediately alerted the police. Also read: 'My role eliminated at Tesla again': Employee claims she was laid off, exposes grim state of job market Authorities later arrested the man in the vicinity of her residence. During questioning, the man admitted that he had feelings for the woman and wanted to learn more about her. Disturbingly, it was not the first time he had unlawfully entered her home. The police are now investigating how he managed to get access and whether he may have installed any illegal surveillance devices. The woman had been completely unaware of any prior break-ins. The case quickly went viral in Japan, drawing heavy engagement online. A video report about the incident attracted close to 8,000 comments. 'At first I found it funny but then I realised it was the scariest thing in the world,' said one user. 'I think it was fortunate that she happened to go home to pick stuff up; otherwise she might have remained ignorant about the previous break-ins by her pervert boss and his behaviour would have become more dangerous,' another person commented. 'She should throw away her bed and even all her furniture. I would not be able to continue living there if the same thing happened to me,' said a third. 'This is a very disgusting example of power harassment,' someone else remarked. 'I hope he did not go back to work like nothing had happened, and I hope the woman does not end up quitting her job,' another comment read. A government survey in 2016 revealed that one in three employees in Japan had faced power harassment in the previous three years. In 2017, the Japan Times reported that nearly 30% of working women had experienced sexual harassment. Also read: Tourist shatters fragile crystal-covered 'Van Gogh' chair while posing for photo In response to growing concerns, new legal measures were introduced in 2022 requiring employers of all sizes to implement steps to address power harassment in the workplace. Earlier this year, many Japanese women took to social media using the hashtag 'The real reason I quit my job,' sharing stories of harassment that led to psychological trauma. 'It is usually the victim who quits,' one woman wrote.
