According to the latest report that London’s National Gallery says radicals have attacked artwork in the gallery five times and have now decided to ban the carrying of liquids into the gallery. But environmental NGO Just Stop Oil says the threat posed by climate change is far more serious.
The National Gallery in London has banned the carrying of liquids inside and taken a series of other security measures after a series of attacks by climate activists who threw soup and other runoff on famous works of art, the Washington Post reported today.
From Friday, visitors to Britain’s free museums will not be allowed to bring in any liquids other than baby formula, expressed breast milk or prescription medication. They will also have to pass through a metal detector and undergo a baggage check to enter the museum, which is also asking visitors to bring as few items as possible.
In a statement, the art museum said: ‘There is no substitute for the collections in our collection, and each attack forces us to consider placing additional barriers between visitors and their artwork in order to protect these fragile exhibits for future generations.’ ‘Unfortunately, we have now reached the point where we have to take action to protect visitors, staff and collections.’
The museum said the ban on liquids includes bottled water, while noting that free tap water is available to visitors at the museum.
Art protests around the globe
Over the past two years, activists around the world have symbolically destroyed iconic buildings and works of art to draw attention to the causes they advocate, including throwing soup on the Mona Lisa in Paris and spraying orange paint on Stonehenge.
While many of the demonstrations began as climate protests, such as in London, where members of Stop the Oil threw tomato soup on Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and in Germany, where members of the Last Generation climate campaign threw potatoes on Claude Monet’s Haystack. Haystacks, but more recently, protesters have also threatened to target works of art to call on their governments to stop providing aid to Israel’s war in Gaza.
While most of the demonstrations do not appear to have damaged the actual artworks, many of which are protected by glass, officials at the National Gallery in London said some of the targeted works suffered physical damage. Prosecutors said two Stop the Oil activists involved in the Sunflower 2022 incident caused £10,000 ($13,400) of damage to the surrounding 17th-century Italian frame. Last month, just hours after the activists were sentenced to prison, three more protesters threw soup on the painting again, in one of two attacks on the National Gallery in the past few weeks.
Dialogue between the museum and protesters
In a statement, the museum said it had been attacked five times since July 2022, which had ‘caused distress to visitors and staff alike’.
The National Council of Museum Directors published an open letter on 11 October calling for an end to such demonstrations. The letter reads: ‘Whilst we respect people’s right to protest and are often sympathetic to protests, these attacks must stop. They seriously damage the reputation of British museums, put enormous pressure on museum colleagues at all levels, and stop visitors feeling safe to visit some of the UK’s best museums and galleries.’
It acknowledged that the world ‘is in a very dark place at the moment, but these demonstrations need to be removed from our museums and galleries now so that art collections can continue to provide light and solace for all.’
However, a few days later, Just Stop Oil responded with another open letter, ‘The damage and destruction caused by these actions is minimal, and the actions are meant to draw attention to the immense damage and destruction supported by our government.’ The organisation also wrote, ‘Today you are upset about soup and stickers, but tomorrow you will be faced with rising Thames levels and a deadly heatwave in the city. People are destroying museums and gallery spaces and shattering the illusion that all is well. We need museums to face up to their responsibilities at this time.’
The group has requested a meeting with the National Board of Museum Directors at the National Gallery of England. The group added: ‘We will not be discussing this topic with you again.’
The social responsibility of art
In this context, many museums are beginning to re-examine their role. Art is not only an object of display, but can also be part of a social movement. Museum leadership is calling on artists and activists to be able to find more constructive ways of expression in order to avoid damage to cultural heritage.
At the same time, a growing number of audiences are reflecting on their relationship with art. They want to see museums not only as places for the conservation of works of art, but also as places where they can actively participate in social dialogue and communicate important social and environmental issues. This interaction may bring new life to museums and allow art to play a more important role in contemporary society.
Public reaction and future outlook
Public reaction to this series of events has also been polarised. Some believe that artworks should be preserved and any vandalism is unacceptable, while others believe that the preservation of artworks should not get in the way of focusing on larger societal issues. As the issue of climate change grows, finding a middle way between preserving cultural heritage and responding to societal voices will be a common challenge for museums and activists alike.
Ultimately, whether the new security regulations for museums will be effective in curbing radical protests or whether they will lead to a deeper social dialogue will be something to watch in the future. In these turbulent times, the intersection of art and protest will continue to provoke concern and reflection.
