Latest news with #NicolaBolla
BBC News
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Italian museum's plea after couple break crystal-covered chair
An Italian museum has called on patrons to "respect art" after a couple was filmed breaking a chair covered in hundreds of glittering released by the Palazzo Maffei, in Verona, shows a man and woman taking pictures of each other while pretending to sit on the so-called "Van Gogh" man then appears to slip and fall onto the chair, crushing it underneath him. Officials say the couple fled the museum before staff noticed what happened. They have since notified police about the pair, who have not been identified."Sometimes we lose our brains to take a picture, and we don't think about the consequences," says museum director Vanessa Carlon."Of course it was an accident, but these two people left without speaking to us - that isn't an accident," she adds. "This is a nightmare for any museum". The BBC understands this incident happened in April. Palazzo Maffei released the footage on 12 chair was built by Italian artist Nicola Bolla and is bejewelled with Swarovski crystals made from polished, machine-cut glass. It is named after Vincent van Gogh as a tribute to the Dutch artist's painting of a simple piece is somewhat priceless, in that the museum declined to provide an estimate of its value when asked by the Menegazzo, an art historian based at the Palazzo Maffei, says that - while it looks sturdy - its frame is mostly hollow and kept together with foil."On the chair was a note warning people not to touch, and of course it is placed on a pedestal, so it's quite clear it's not a real chair," says Ms legs and the main seat were broken, but Ms Menegazzo says "a great job" has been done to restore the piece and it is now back in Palazzo Maffei opened in 2020 and has 650 pieces on display, including paintings by Picasso and ancient Egyptian Carlon says the majority of visitors are considerate, and she hopes this release of CCTV footage won't become a "negative episode".Instead, she wants to highlight that "anyone should enter art places, or museums or churches, wherever art is displayed, in a more respectful way"."Art must be respected and loved because it is very fragile," she adds.
Economic Times
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
'Idiot' tourist sits on priceless chair decorated with Swarovski crystals, shatters it into pieces
A tourist's reckless attempt to pose on Nicola Bolla's crystal-covered "Van Gogh" chair at an Italian museum resulted in its collapse. The museum condemned the act, highlighting the pair's deliberate avoidance of staff. Fortunately, the chair was successfully restored, sparking online discussions about museum security and visitor etiquette after the video went viral. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A careless incident at an Italian museum recently drew widespread attention when a tourist caused serious damage to a fragile piece of contemporary art. The centerpiece in question was a chair intricately decorated with thousands of shimmering Swarovski crystals, designed by renowned Italian artist Nicola Bolla This chair, nicknamed the 'Van Gogh' chair for its resemblance to one depicted in one of the famed Dutch painter's artworks, was not just a visual marvel but a delicate symbol of artistic craftsmanship. Unfortunately, that delicate nature was completely disregarded during a poorly thought-out photo reported by the New York Post, surveillance footage captured the moment when the man, accompanied by a woman, decided to sit fully on the ornamental chair rather than mimic the pose by hovering above it like his misguided choice proved disastrous. As he placed his full weight onto the fragile structure, the chair collapsed under him. In a clumsy scramble to stay upright, the man reached toward the nearby wall for support with both hands, failing to maintain balance. The crash startled onlookers, and the woman quickly stepped in to help him recover before both of them hurried out of the museum was quick to condemn the behavior, expressing deep frustration over the tourists' blatant disregard for basic etiquette and appreciation for artistic heritage. They also revealed that the pair had timed their actions to avoid the watchful eyes of museum staff, deliberately waiting for security personnel to exit the room before making their entirely from crystals, the 'Van Gogh' chair was a particularly sensitive and vulnerable work, not intended for physical interaction. The artist's intention was to pay homage to Vincent van Gogh's creative vision through a modern medium, turning a traditional object into a gleaming piece of contemporary art. Its destruction, albeit temporary, was a blow to both the institution and the art world at the incident eventually took a positive turn. Within a few days, the museum announced that restoration efforts had been successful, and the chair was returned to its original, dazzling condition. The sigh of relief was palpable, especially given the emotional and monetary value of the episode sparked a lively conversation online, especially on Reddit's 'Mildly Infuriating' forum, where the video gained over 17,000 upvotes. Many users expressed disbelief that there was no staff present near such a fragile exhibit. While acknowledging the financial strains museums face, commenters were stunned that this predictable mishap wasn't better prevented.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
'Idiot' tourist sits on priceless chair decorated with Swarovski crystals, shatters it into pieces
A careless incident at an Italian museum recently drew widespread attention when a tourist caused serious damage to a fragile piece of contemporary art. The centerpiece in question was a chair intricately decorated with thousands of shimmering Swarovski crystals, designed by renowned Italian artist Nicola Bolla . This chair, nicknamed the 'Van Gogh' chair for its resemblance to one depicted in one of the famed Dutch painter's artworks, was not just a visual marvel but a delicate symbol of artistic craftsmanship. Unfortunately, that delicate nature was completely disregarded during a poorly thought-out photo attempt. As reported by the New York Post, surveillance footage captured the moment when the man, accompanied by a woman, decided to sit fully on the ornamental chair rather than mimic the pose by hovering above it like his companion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now This misguided choice proved disastrous. As he placed his full weight onto the fragile structure, the chair collapsed under him. In a clumsy scramble to stay upright, the man reached toward the nearby wall for support with both hands, failing to maintain balance. The crash startled onlookers, and the woman quickly stepped in to help him recover before both of them hurried out of the gallery. The museum was quick to condemn the behavior, expressing deep frustration over the tourists' blatant disregard for basic etiquette and appreciation for artistic heritage. They also revealed that the pair had timed their actions to avoid the watchful eyes of museum staff, deliberately waiting for security personnel to exit the room before making their move. Crafted entirely from crystals, the 'Van Gogh' chair was a particularly sensitive and vulnerable work, not intended for physical interaction. The artist's intention was to pay homage to Vincent van Gogh's creative vision through a modern medium, turning a traditional object into a gleaming piece of contemporary art. Its destruction, albeit temporary, was a blow to both the institution and the art world at large. However, the incident eventually took a positive turn. Within a few days, the museum announced that restoration efforts had been successful, and the chair was returned to its original, dazzling condition. The sigh of relief was palpable, especially given the emotional and monetary value of the piece. The episode sparked a lively conversation online, especially on Reddit's 'Mildly Infuriating' forum, where the video gained over 17,000 upvotes. Many users expressed disbelief that there was no staff present near such a fragile exhibit. While acknowledging the financial strains museums face, commenters were stunned that this predictable mishap wasn't better prevented.
Express Tribune
10 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Tourist shatters $50K Swarovski crystal Van Gogh chair at Verona museum in shocking photo mishap
An art installation at the Palazzo Maffei museum in Verona, Italy, was accidentally damaged by a tourist attempting to pose for a photo. According to surveillance footage shared by the museum, the incident occurred when a male visitor sat on an art piece encrusted with thousands of Swarovski crystals — despite posted rules against touching the exhibit. The delicate sculpture, titled the "Van Gogh" chair by Italian artist Nicola Bolla, is inspired by the chair depicted in one of Vincent van Gogh's iconic paintings, The Bedroom. Rather than mimicking a seated position like his female companion, the man fully sat on the piece, which immediately gave way. He stumbled while trying to catch himself, and the two hurried out of the room. Palazzo Maffei publicly condemned the act in a social media post, calling the behavior 'superficial' and 'disrespectful,' and emphasized that the visitors waited for museum staff to leave before acting. 'They ignored every rule of respect for art and cultural heritage,' the museum said. The museum initially feared the artwork might be beyond repair but confirmed days later that restoration efforts had succeeded. 'For days we didn't know if it would be possible to restore it. But we did it,' a staff member posted in Italian. The museum thanked law enforcement, their internal security team, and restoration experts for the recovery. The cost of the repair has not been disclosed, and it remains unclear whether the couple responsible will face any consequences. Online commenters reacted strongly, with many condemning the tourists' disregard for museum etiquette.
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Tourist shatters fragile crystal-covered ‘Van Gogh' chair while posing for photo: 'Terrible and shameful'
A tourist's reckless stunt at the Palazzo Maffei museum in Verona, Italy, has drawn widespread criticism after he damaged a fragile art installation by sitting on it for a photo. Security footage from the museum shows the man ignoring the delicate nature of the exhibit and sitting directly on the chair, a work of art adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals, despite clear indications not to touch the piece. The chair collapsed under his weight as he lost balance, attempting to steady himself by grabbing onto a nearby wall. Instead of mimicking his female companion, who had only pretended to sit for her photo, the man went ahead and sat on the artwork. The woman quickly came to his aid, and the pair fled the scene before security returned. The museum publicly condemned the incident, describing the tourists' actions as 'superficial' and 'disrespectful'. In a social media post, the museum added, 'They ignored every rule of respect for art and cultural heritage,' also pointing out that the couple had waited for the room to be empty before attempting the stunt. Also read: Did US pizza joints really predict Israel's strike on Iran? X account dedicated to 'Pizza Index' theory claims The damaged installation, known as the 'Van Gogh' chair, is a delicate creation by Italian artist Nicola Bolla. Inspired by a famous Van Gogh painting, the chair is completely encrusted with Swarovski crystals and was considered a centrepiece of the exhibit. Though initially uncertain about whether the chair could be salvaged, museum staff were able to restore it within a few days. 'For days we didn't know if it would be possible to restore it. But we did it,' a museum representative said in a Facebook post. 'A heartfelt thanks goes to the police, our security department and the restorers, whose precious work allowed the work to be recovered.' The museum did not disclose the cost of the restoration or confirm whether the couple would be held financially accountable. A post shared by Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo (@palazzomaffeiverona) Outraged social media users slammed the tourists' behaviour. 'Idiots! I hope they are reported!' commented Davide Baraldi. Another user wrote, 'The embodiment of mediocrity, rudeness and ignorance.' 'So much ignorance, this is unacceptable!,' wrote a user while another added, 'Terrible and shameful' One user added, 'Well let's hope the culprits have been identified and held accountable.' Also read: Dog trapped in Tel Aviv building after Iran's missile strike miraculously rescued A user noted, 'Unfortunately too many people enter museums just for a shot to post on social media and not because they have a real interest in art, which explains the ignorance and total lack of respect for places and works.'
