92 museum directors from around the world sign letter against attacks on artwork

In the face of recent incidents involving young environmental activists “fouling” famous works of art (protected by glass) with tomato sauces and vegetable soups, ninety-two directors of as many museums around the world have signed a letter on the issue of attacks on works of art in museum venues.

The letter was posted on the International Council of Museums (ICOM) website and signed, in addition to ICOM Germany President Beate Reifenscheid, by the directors of the world’s leading museum institutions, including the director of the Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, the Solomon R. Guggenheim in New York, the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris, the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, the Louvre in Paris, the Prado in Madrid, the National Gallery in London, the British Museum in London, the Mauritshuis in The Hague, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the Munchmuseet in Oslo, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Muséand d’Orsay in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Western and Oriental Art in Odessa, the Belvedere in Vienna, the Stiftung Stadtmuseum in Berlin, and the Kunstmuseum Bern - Zentrum Paul Klee.

Three Italian museum directors signed the letter: Diego Ferretti, Director of Mart - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto; Eike Schmidt, Director of the Uffizi Galleries in Florence; and Karole PB Vail, Director of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.

Following is the text of the letter:

"In recent weeks there have been several attacks on artworks in international museum collections. The activists responsible for them grossly underestimate the fragility of these irreplaceable objects, which must be preserved as part of our world cultural heritage. As museum directors, responsible for the works, Because museum directors are frustrated with the care of these works, we were deeply shocked to see them recklessly endangered.

Museums are places where people from a wide variety of backgrounds can engage in dialogue and are thus places that contribute to interpersonal relationships. In this sense, the essential functions of a museum as an institution-collection, research, mediation, and preservation-are now more relevant than ever. We will continue to support direct access to our cultural heritage. And we will maintain the museum as a free space for social communication."

92 museum directors from around the world sign letter against attacks on artwork

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