Child Breaks 5 Million Won Artwork... Artist Says "My Carelessness"

"This work is for children... Sometimes you have to endure"
"I hope they don't even think about compensation or reimbursement"

On the 20th, a 5 million won artwork displayed at Hyehwa Art Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, was damaged. The visitor who damaged the artwork was a kindergarten child who came to the exhibition with their mother. The artist Kim Unseong, who created the piece, generously forgave the incident, saying, "I think the parents and child must have been shocked."

This story was revealed when poet Ryu Geun posted about it on his Facebook on the 22nd. Poet Ryu said, "A little child who came with their mother broke a sculpture on display. The child and mother were stunned, and the event organizers and gallery were very embarrassed," he reported.

The artwork was not for sale, but it was priced at 5 million won. The gallery contacted artist Kim. After hearing the full story, the artist blamed his own carelessness first and replied, "I hope they don't think about compensation or reimbursement."

Photo posted on Facebook by poet Ryu Geun, who first reported the incident [Image source=Facebook]

He also emphasized, "Although the artwork is precious to the artist, I do not want to force the child to feel sorry," adding, "This piece is about ideals and dreams being born and growing."

He continued, "Sometimes it is a seed that must endure and overcome, and that is exactly our children," and added, "I hope they understand the damage to the artwork but are not scolded."

Poet Ryu said, "The concern for the child who broke the artwork first is the kind of world former President Roh Moo-hyun dreamed of," and added, "I am very proud of sculptor Kim Unseong."

The kindergarten child reportedly did not intend to damage the artwork but broke it out of simple curiosity while approaching the sculpture. However, damage to contemporary art exhibitions by visitors happens more often than expected.

The exhibition piece "Comedian," which became more famous due to intentional damage by visitors [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

For example, on the 27th of last month, a man ate and destroyed the artwork "Comedian" displayed at the Maurizio Cattelan solo exhibition "WE" at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul. "Comedian" is a piece where a banana is taped to the wall. The man reportedly ate the banana's contents and then reattached the peel to the wall.

Unlike the kindergarten boy who accidentally damaged the artwork, this man intentionally altered the piece. The Leeum Museum of Art did not take any special legal action for damages. The banana in this artwork has been replaced every 2 to 3 days, and previously, a performance artist gained fame by pulling off and eating the banana.

There are also cases where the damage itself becomes performance art. The famous British artist Banksy's painting "Love is in the Bin" was sold for about 30.4 billion won at a Sotheby's auction in London in 2021.

However, immediately after the artwork was sold, a shredder hidden behind the frame was activated, tearing the painting into thin, long strips of paper. Banksy revealed on Instagram that the shredding incident was his doing, and afterward, the value of the "shredded artwork" greatly increased.

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