Latest news with #PalazzoMaffei
BBC News
7 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.
Express Tribune
16 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
18 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.'
NDTV
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Watch: Tourist Destroys Crystal-Studded 'Van Gogh' Chair By Sitting On it
A tourist has been caught on camera, sitting on a 'Van Gogh' chair at an Italian art gallery before the antique buckled under him. The chair, named after the famous Dutch painter, was created by Italian artist Nicola Bolla and had been housed in the Maffei Palace, Verona. The chair is believed to be studded with hundreds of Swarovski crystals. The tourist, accompanied by a woman, initially pretended to sit on the chair for the photo. The security footage then showed him deciding to sit on the delicate chair. As soon as he sat down, the delicate chair crumbled as the man lost his balance, trying to hold on to the wall with both hands so he wouldn't fall. The woman came to his rescue and helped him stand up. However, instead of informing the museum authorities, the pair quickly scurried out of the room. The museum took to social media to highlight the irresponsible act of the tourists and shared the footage. "Every museum's nightmare has become reality, even in Palazzo Maffei," the museum said in a post on Instagram, adding: "An irresponsible gesture caused serious damage to Nicola Bolla's "Van Gogh" chair, a very delicate work, covered entirely with hundreds of Swarovski crystals." "We are sharing this episode not only for the sake of reporting, but to start a real campaign to raise awareness about the value of art and the respect it deserves." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo (@palazzomaffeiverona) Social media reacts As the video went viral, social media users slammed the man for destroying the piece of art, with others highlighting that not many appreciate real art these days. "They even got away. There are no words," said one user, while another added: "So much ignorance, this is unacceptable! Foolish people." A third commented: "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." The museum later revealed that after initially being pessimist about the chair's future, they managed to restore it. "For days we didn't know if it would be possible to restore it. But we did it. A heartfelt thank you goes to the police, our security department and the restorers whose valuable work enabled the recovery of the piece," the museum stated. It's unclear what the recovery cost was and if the offending couple would be held responsible for the damages.
New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Idiot' tourist sits on and shatters ‘Van Gogh' chair adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals
Nightmare at the Museum. A foolish tourist in Italy sat on a chair adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals for a photo op, crushing the precious work of art beneath his weight. Instead of lowering himself and pretending to sit for the photo — like the woman accompanying him had done — security video shows a man deciding to go for it and sit down. The chair crumbled under his weight, as he lost his balance, trying to hold on to the wall with both hands so he didn't fall. Advertisement 4 Security footage captured the moment the tourist shattered the precious art piece. facebook/palazzomaffei The woman came to his rescue, and the pair scurried out of the room. The Palazzo Maffei in Verona took to social media to shame the tourists, sharing footage of their actions, which they called 'superficial' and 'disrespectful.' Advertisement 'They ignored every rule of respect for art and cultural heritage,' the museum raged, noting the tourists waited for security to leave the room for the ill-fated photo op. The art piece by Italian artist Nicola Bolla was named the 'Van Gogh' chair, as it resembles a chair in one of the legendary Dutch painter's most famous pieces. The museum described it as an extremely delicate piece of work, entirely covered in crystals. 4 The chair was entirely covered with hundreds of crystals. facebook/palazzomaffei But this story has a happy ending — a few days after the horrific accident, the museum was breathing a sigh of relief. It had been able to restore the art piece to its original splendor. Advertisement 'For days we didn't know if it would be possible to restore it. But we did it,' a museum staffer recounted in Italian on Facebook. 4 Moments before the catastrophe. facebook/palazzomaffei 'A heartfelt thanks goes to the police, our security department and the restorers, whose precious work allowed the work to be recovered.' It's unclear what the recovery cost, and if the offending couple would be held responsible for the damages. Advertisement 'Idiots! I hope they are reported!' raged Davide Baraldi, in reaction to the museum's post. 'The embodiment of mediocrity, rudeness and ignorance,' added Federica De Guadalupe in a comment. 4 The man loses his balance, and the woman comes to his rescue, before the guilty pair make their escape. facebook/palazzomaffei
