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Indian Express
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Tourist sits on art work, breaks Swarovski crystal-covered ‘Van Gogh' chair in Italian museum. Watch
A tourist couple is under fire after they caused significant damage to a valuable art piece at the Palazzo Maffei Museum in Verona, Italy. According to a statement released on the museum's Facebook page, two visitors were admiring the 'Van Gogh' chair by Italian artist Nicola Bolla, a striking artwork inspired by Vincent van Gogh's iconic 1888 paintings and adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals. The incident unfolded when a museum guard stepped out of the room, and the couple began clicking photos near the chair. Viral CCTV footage shows the woman first pretending to sit on the chair for a photo. Moments later, the man tries to imitate her, but instead of just posing, he sits on the artwork, making it collapse immediately. As the video progresses, the woman then rushes to help him to his feet, and the two quickly exit the room before the museum staffer returns. Watch here: Tourist caught-on-camera smashing Nicola Bolla's 'Van Gogh' chair, a very delicate work, entirely covered in hundreds of Swarovski crystals — non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) June 16, 2025 The video prompted a wave of reactions. A user said: 'Fire the curator of the exhibit immediately. Absolutely no protection for art like this is unacceptable. It is a CHAIR in an open room, and you didn't expect a SINGLE, not one person, to attempt to sit on it.' Another user commented, 'This is why they have to put museum relics behind cages now. Because these idiots exist.' According to People magazine, the museum condemned the couple's behaviour, calling them irresponsible. 'They ignored every rule of respect for art and cultural heritage,' the museum wrote on Facebook. The museum also confirmed that the artwork had since been successfully repaired. 'For days we didn't know if it would be possible to restore it. But we did it. A heartfelt thanks goes to the police, our security department, and the restorers, whose precious work allowed the work to be recovered,' the statement read. The museum also expressed gratitude to the majority of its visitors, who treat art with respect, 'And a special thanks to all of you who walk through the museum's halls every day with care, attention, and wonder. Because art is not just to be seen. It is to be loved. It is to be protected.'
Local Italy
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Local Italy
Italian museum hunts couple who broke artwork by sitting on it
The museum in the northern Italian city of Verona launched a manhunt for the most unlikely of outlaws - two clumsy tourists who managed to almost wreck a work of art while posing for photos. Video footage released by Palazzo Maffei showed the hapless pair photographing each other pretending to sit on a crystal-covered chair made by the artist Nicola Bolla - described by the museum as an "extremely fragile" work. While the woman squats but does not seem to touch the work - known as Van Gogh's Chair and covered in Swarovski crystals - the man is not so careful, sitting and then stumbling backwards as the seat buckles under his weight. The tourists were caught on CCTV footage at Palazzo Maffei on June 16, 2025. Handout photo: AFP/ Palazzo Maffei Museum The pair can then be seen fleeing the room, in a post that went viral over the weekend. Palazzo Maffei described it as "every museum's nightmare" and told AFP on Monday it had made a complaint to the police, without specifying when it was filed. The museum posted an account on social media on Thursday saying the incident had happened fewer than four weeks ago and the chair had since been repaired. "It was an idiotic thing to do," Bolla told Italian magazine Fanpage. But the artist added that he could also see a "positive side" to the incident. "It's like a kind of performance. Ordinary people can do it too, not just artists."
9 News
14-06-2025
- 9 News
Idiot tourists sit on and break 'delicate' Van Gogh chair in Italian museum
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Two tourists have been caught on CCTV sitting on and breaking a "very delicate" art piece at an Italian museum. The "Van Gogh" chair covered in Swarovski crystals, made by artist Nicola Bolla, was displayed in Verona's Palazzo Maffei Museum. It was destroyed when a male tourist tried to sit on the chair, breaking it immediately. Idiot tourist break Van Gogh art chair at Palazzo Maffei. (Instagram) Another female tourist, appearing to be his partner, stood by taking photos while the man broke the chair. The museum released the video footage of the incident, condemning the actions of the pair. "Disrespectful behaviour has put the integrity of a work of art at risk: the 'Van Gogh' chair by the artist Nicola Bolla was damaged by some visitors," the museum said on Instagram. "[They were] waiting for the security personnel to leave, chose to take a 'spectacular' photo, ignoring every rule of respect for art and cultural heritage." Idiot tourist break Van Gogh art chair at Palazzo Maffei. (Nine) The chair covered in Swarovski crystals, made by artist Nicola Bolla, was in Verona, Italy's Palazzo Maffei Museum. (Facebook: Palazzo Maffei Verona) In another post to Facebook, the museum said they were able to fix the chair after days of not knowing whether the piece could be saved. "We are sharing this episode not only for the record, but to start a real awareness campaign on the value of art and the respect it deserves," the post read. "A heartfelt thanks goes to the police, our security department and the restorers, whose precious work allowed the work to be recovered." It's not clear if the pair were found following the incident. CONTACT US
