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Van Gogh Sunflower Painting Recent controversy

Source : washingtonpost.com

Van Gogh Sunflower

Just after 11 a.m. on Friday, two teenage climate protestors entered a chamber at London's National Gallery containing "Sunflowers," one of Vincent van Gogh's most renowned works. 

They opened two cans of Heinz tomato soup, threw them at the picture, and then adhered their hands to the wall with glue.

"What is more valuable, art or life?" One protester said, with her hand on the wall behind her. "...Do you care more about the preservation of a painting or maintaining the integrity of our planet?"

People who took part in the protest turned out to be members of a group of activists called Just Stop Oil.

This organisation opposes oil and gas projects in the United Kingdom.

When activists attacked van Gogh's "Sunflowers," they confirmed its strength.

What is Van Gogh Sunflower 

Sunflowers (original title, in French: Tournesols) is the name of two series of Vincent van Gogh's still life paintings.

The first series, created in Paris in 1887, represents the flowers laying on the ground.

Sunflower-laying-on-the-ground-painting-by-vincent-von-gogh

While the second series, created a year later in Arles, depicts a vase of sunflowers.

It was a weird moment, but it was also the latest in a string of global climate protests that have targeted museums and art institutions.

In July, protesters pasted their own "apocalyptic" picture of the future over the surface of John Constable's "The Hay Wain" in London's National Gallery.

In the same month, members of the Italian climate organization Ultima Generazione affixed themselves to a Sandro Botticelli painting at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Similar events have also occurred in Australia.

"Sunflowers," like the other artwork previously targeted by activists, is acceptable.

von-gogh-sunflower-painting-was-souped

The fact that "Sunflowers" was shielded by glass reduces the shock of having tomato soup impact the painting, which likely contributed to the video of the protest becoming a viral sensation.

The National Gallery said in a statement, "There is some minor damage to the frame, but the painting is intact."

As of Friday, late afternoon U.K. time, the painting was once again on exhibit.

However, the climate art stunt remained an odd form of protest that appeared more likely to alienate people.

Many individuals expressed anger and displeasure online, with others suggesting that the protesters targeted "Sunflowers" because it was an "oil painting."

In contrast, it is comparable with the increasing number of climate protests that have interrupted daily life in increasingly unexpected ways in recent years.

Several years ago, activists from the climate group Extinction Rebellion climbed onto the roof of a London passenger train, blocking passengers from getting to work and sparking a clash between passengers and protesters.

Last week, climate protesters in the Washington, D.C. region blocked roadways in an effort to convince President Biden to declare a "climate emergency."

Another group, known as the Tyre Extinguishers, has been bursting SUV tires in the United Kingdom and New York, alleging that the cars are dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists and waste more fuel.

Such developments, according to Dana Fisher, a sociology professor at the University of Maryland who analyzes protest movements, are a form of "tactical innovation" in which protestors adopt new techniques to get more media attention.

The media becomes accustomed to certain types of activity; a protest or sit-in that once gained widespread attention is suddenly deemed old news.

Fisher noted that climate protesters began by sticking themselves to artworks, which initially produced a little news splash.

In an effort to garner more attention, they have shifted their focus to the look of defacing art.

By late afternoon, a video of the incident had been viewed 13.3 million times on YouTube.

The incident at the National Gallery did make big headlines in the U.K. and European newspapers.

The fact that the protest had gone viral was likely considered a success by the activists involved.

The climate crisis, which is occasionally overshadowed by geopolitical, economic, and celebrity news, was once again in the spotlight.

However, as demonstrators escalate their tactics, they risk alienating others who would otherwise support their cause.

"According to research, this approach is ineffectual in terms of changing people's feelings and perceptions. Fisher also said.

A person who is stopped from going to work or who believes precious artworks are being damaged could be turned off by the climate movement, if not permanently.

"It is effective at attracting attention," Fisher added.

However, to what end?