The first and most important rule of advocacy, whether it be confrontational or constructive, is to stay on subject. If you can’t keep your intended audience’s attention with what you’re trying to accomplish, maybe that’s a sign that you’re barking up the wrong tree.
We need to keep this in mind as some climate activists have taken to completely abstract and unrelated actions in order to spread their message, including some destructive behavior hellbent on ruining some of the world’s most important pieces of art.
A pair of climate protesters hurled tomato soup on a Vincent van Gogh painting at London’s National Gallery on Friday — the latest in a series of attempts to vandalize famous artwork to speak against oil.
London’s Metropolitan Police said officers arrested two people on suspicion of criminal damage and aggravated trespass.
The duo were supporters of the activist group Just Stop Oil, which engages in publicity stunts to bring the public’s attention to climate change.
Video shows the pair dropping an outer layer of clothing, revealing their Just Stop Oil T-shirts and taking out the cans of soup. The painting is enclosed in glass and aside from minor damage to the frame, the artwork is “unharmed,” the National Gallery said in a statement.
As you can see in the video below, the pair then glued themselves to the wall underneath the priceless painting.
NOW – Climate activists defile Van Gogh's Sunflowers at the National Gallery and glued themselves to the wall.pic.twitter.com/XgRDqyEqUO
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) October 14, 2022
The news comes just weeks after a similar incident in the Mona Lisa was smeared with cake by another climate activist.
Another pair glued themselves to a different Van Gogh painting some months back as well.
