Picasso and Gogh Followed by Monet Painting Doused with Mashed Potatoes... "Climate Crisis Response"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] In Germany, environmental activists poured mashed potatoes onto a Claude Monet painting during a protest. Recently, European environmental activists have been staging protests by gluing their hands to Pablo Picasso masterpieces or pouring soup on Vincent van Gogh's paintings.

According to the Associated Press and other sources on the 23rd (local time), two environmental activists from the German environmental group Last Generation, wearing orange vests, approached Monet's masterpiece "Les Meules" displayed at the Barberini Museum and threw a yellow liquid. The group later revealed that the liquid was mashed potatoes.

The group posted a video of the scene on Twitter, stating, "We pour mashed potatoes or tomato soup on masterpieces so that society remembers that fossil fuels kill us all."

After the incident, the Barberini Museum stated that the painting was framed behind glass, so no damage occurred due to the mashed potatoes. The museum plans to resume the exhibition from the 26th after maintenance. The museum said, "We understand the concerns of environmental activists facing the climate crisis, but we are shocked by the means they used to emphasize their claims."

The dpa news agency reported that a total of four people were involved in the incident, but it is unclear whether they have been arrested.

Earlier, on the 9th, activists from the UK environmental group Extinction Rebellion visited the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, and glued their hands onto Pablo Picasso's painting "Massacre in Korea." Five days later, on the 14th, environmental activists poured tomato soup on Vincent van Gogh's painting "Sunflowers," which was exhibited at the National Gallery in London, UK.

Both incidents were carried out with the intention of urging action on the climate crisis, and it has been reported that the paintings were not damaged.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.