What's happened
During the opening of Ai Weiwei's exhibition in Bologna, a 57-year-old Czech man vandalized the artist's 'Porcelain Cube' sculpture. The incident, captured on CCTV, shocked attendees and led to the man's arrest. The artwork was destroyed before the exhibition opened to the public on Saturday, September 21, 2024.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to the New York Times, Ai Weiwei described his shock at the destruction, stating, "I never imagined that a piece nearly 100 kilos in weight could be damaged so easily." Meanwhile, Sky News reported that the curator labeled the act as "vandalism" and noted the irony given the exhibition's themes. The Independent highlighted the attacker's history of targeting art, suggesting a pattern of behavior that raises questions about security at such events. Metro provided details on the attack, including the man's triumphant gesture after the act, which has drawn criticism and concern from the art community.
How we got here
The incident occurred during Ai Weiwei's first solo exhibition in Bologna, titled 'Who Am I?'. The exhibition featured works exploring themes of destruction, making the vandalism particularly ironic.
More on these topics
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Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist. Ai grew up in the far north-west of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile.
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Bologna is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 390,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities.