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Fallon talks about the controversy between vandalization of art and protest.
Soup, painting, and protest
Soup, painting, and protest
By: Fallon Rosebraugh
By: Fallon Rosebraugh
It is in human nature to create art, because the human race is filled with passion. Art expresses what cannot be said; it is a form of communication that helps give meaning and understanding to the world. The arts allow one to convey emotion, promoting individuality. On a few occasions, protesters hurled soup at world-famous paintings to bring awareness to different causes. Though the act of protest is controversial, the question remains—does doing it impact the activist's cause?
On Jan. 28, 2024, two protesters splattered pumpkin soup on Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa painting at The Louvre. Fortunately, the painting was protected by a bulletproof glass casing. According to CNN, “The environmental group Riposte Alimentaire — which roughly translates to “Food Response'' — said two protesters involved with its campaign were behind the vandalism.” The overall purpose of the protest was an attempt to draw attention to poor food production in France. Shortly after the incident, staff members of The Louvre separate the visitors and protesters with black screens. The museum visitors then evacuated the “Salle des Etats” room, where the Mona Lisa was kept.
Photo by Vanity Fair
Photo bt NPR
A similar event occurred on Oct. 4, 2022, when two protesters threw tomato soup on Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflower painting at London’s National Gallery of Art. Phoebe Plummer was one of two protesters with the Just Stop Oil activist group who participated in the protest. NPR previously interviewed Plummer, and they stated in one of their responses that “I think a lot of people, when they saw us, had feelings of shock or horror or outrage because they saw something beautiful and valuable and they thought it was being damaged or destroyed. But, you know, where is that emotional response when it's our planet and our people that are being destroyed.” The incident most definitely went viral, and some may say their goal to bring attention to climate change was successful.
Many famous art pieces have been damaged due to various protests--though many question whether or not these protests are justifiable. On one side, individuals agree it is unfortunate that famous paintings have been vandalized, but they can recognize it was for a good cause. However, others did not see a climate protest, but instead saw the defacement of famous and priceless artwork. It is quite a controversial topic and, due to the controversy, it is evident that these acts do impact their causes—supporters or not.
While some admire the activists and their dedication, others disagree that throwing soup on paintings will not save their causes. Considering there are various other ways to stir up controversy and catch the public's attention, vandalism of fellow human art might not be the most justifiable approach. In the end, the question of activist efficiency does not compare to the emotions people feel, because that is what truly moves them to action.
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