Demonstrators throw soup at van Gogh paintings once more
Date
10/1/2024 7:54:05 AM
(MENAFN) In a bold act of protest, three activists from the group "Just Stop Oil" were charged with criminal damage after throwing tomato soup at two Vincent van gogh paintings from the iconic 'Sunflowers' series at London’s National gallery on Friday. The individuals, identified as Stephen Simpson, 61, Phillipa Green, 24, and Mary Somerville, 77, were apprehended at the scene, but the gallery confirmed that the paintings, which are protected by glass, remained unharmed.
The incident occurred during the 'Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers' exhibition, where the protesters entered a room and launched a "soup-like substance" at the artworks, one of which is on loan from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Following the protest, the paintings were promptly removed for examination by a conservator. The National Gallery expressed its intent to reopen the exhibition as soon as possible, emphasizing the lack of damage to the artworks.
In a video shared by the activists on social media, the protest unfolds as they hurl soup from cans, prompting outrage among onlookers. Phil Green, one of the protesters, commented on the action, suggesting that future generations will view them as "prisoners of conscience" on the "right side of history."
This latest stunt follows the sentencing of two other Just Stop Oil activists, Phoebe Plummer, 23, and Anna Holland, 22, who received prison terms for causing significant damage—estimated at £10,000 (approximately $13,400)—to a van Gogh painting in a separate protest last year. The judge in that case, Christopher Hehir, highlighted the risk of irreparable harm to the "cultural treasure" during the proceedings.
Just Stop Oil characterized the recent soup-throwing as a "sign of defiance" against the recent sentencing, highlighting the ongoing tensions between environmental activism and cultural heritage preservation. The actions of the group raise critical questions about the methods employed in the fight against climate change and the boundaries of protest within cultural institutions.
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