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Hindustan Times
4 days 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.'
India Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Video: Tourist breaks crystal-studded 'Van Gogh' chair at Italian gallery, then flees
A video of a tourist sitting on a delicate art piece for the sake of a photo, only to break it, has gone viral on social media. The incident took place at the Maffei Palace in Verona, Italy, where Nicola Bolla's crystal-studded 'Van Gogh' chair was on piece, named after the Dutch painter, is described by local media as 'extremely fragile' and was covered in hundreds of Swarovski CCTV clip shows the man and woman entering an empty exhibition room. The woman posed near the chair, pretending to sit for a picture. But the man decided to go all in. He hovered briefly, then dropped himself onto the chair. Within seconds, it buckled under his weight, bending backward into the wall. The video also shows the man grabbing onto the wall for support while the woman rushed to help him up. Instead of informing the gallery staff, the pair quietly fled the museum later shared the clip on Instagram, calling it a 'nightmare come true'. 'An irresponsible gesture caused serious damage to Nicola Bolla's 'Van Gogh' chair,' the post read. 'We're sharing this to raise awareness about respecting art,' it added that it had taken days to determine whether the piece could be restored. Thankfully, restorers managed to salvage heartfelt thank you to the police, our security team, and the restorers whose work enabled the recovery,' the statement the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo (@palazzomaffeiverona)Social media users weren't forgiving. A section of the internet called out the tourist for his careless behaviour, while others said incidents like this prove people value photo ops over genuine appreciation for art.'Well let's hope the culprits have been identified and held accountable,' a user said, while another added, '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.'While the damage was eventually reversed, the museum hasn't confirmed whether the tourists will be held liable. For now, it serves as yet another reminder that art galleries are not your personal selfie sets.
