US EditionTourist destroys Swarovski-crystal chair at Italian museum while posing for photo, sparking backlash
- Less than a month ago, a visitor caused damage to the Swarovski crystal artwork "Van Gogh Chair" while taking photos behind a barrier inside the Palazzo Maffei art gallery in Verona, Italy.
- After museum staff left the room, a couple waited before the man sat on a fragile chair, causing it to break; he then fled the gallery, leading authorities to launch a search for the tourists.
- The museum described the damage as "every museum’s nightmare" and released surveillance footage with blurred faces to raise awareness, emphasizing art should be admired, enjoyed, and respected.
- Artist Nicola Bolla called the act "idiotic" but noted a "positive side," while the museum confirmed the chair underwent a painstaking restoration and filed a police complaint on June 16.
- The incident prompted public outrage and encouraged discussions on the importance of honoring both artwork and museum environments, with Palazzo Maffei expressing gratitude to the numerous visitors who consistently show enthusiasm and consideration.
17 Articles
17 Articles
NBC San Diego
Tourist destroys Swarovski-crystal chair at Italian museum while posing for photo, sparking backlash
A tourist at Palazzo Maffei shattered a Swarovski-covered sculpture while trying to take a photo, prompting a viral reel and museum response.
Tourists damaged a fragile work of art called "Van Gogh Chair" in an Italian museum. Their identity has not yet been established.
The Palazzo Maffei museum in the Italian city of Verona announced on Monday that it filed a complaint against the tourist who sat on a chair made of Swarovski crystals and broke it.
Security cameras at the Maffei Palace, a museum in Verona, Italy, captured a peculiar incident, starring a tourist who ignored the safety signs to preserve the works housed in the enclosure and which led to a tragedy for a chair inspired by Van Gogh, covered with Swarovski crystals. Through its social networks, the Maffei Palace shared the video of the moment when a couple of tourists were looking to take memorable photographs, but only managed …
“No flash, no touch”, these are two very common rules in museums around the world, unless it is interactive museums, but again and again there are those who decide to break the rules... and many times in search of a photograph with the piece. Now, capturing with a photograph a piece of art is not bad, after all, the selfie and instagrammeable moments in an exhibition are a new way to experience art... however, there are those who by carelessness…
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