A museum in Italy is calling on visitors to respect its art installations after a pair of tourists sat on a crystal-encrusted exhibit, broke it, then fled.
The piece, known as Nicola Bolla’s “Van Gogh” chair, was on display at the Palazzo Maffei in Verona, Italy, when it collapsed under the weight of a tourist who was gently perched on the sculpture while posing for photographs.
The incident was caught on security cameras and shows two visitors, one male, one female, each pretending to take a seat on the artwork, when the male museum-goer appears to slip and the piece crumples beneath him.
The majority of the damage was to the chair’s legs.
Italian authorities said the pair left the museum before staff noticed the damage.
Police are aware of the incident, but have yet to identify the suspects.
The museum has since called on visitors to respect the items on display.
“Sometimes we lose our brains to take a picture, and we don’t think about the consequences,” museum director Vanessa Carlon said in a video message.
“Of course it was an accident, but these two people left without speaking to us – that isn’t an accident,” she said, adding, “This is a nightmare for any museum,” she continued.
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According to the BBC, the incident happened in April. However, the museum only released the footage on June 12 on Facebook, writing in a statement that it was unsure for days if it would be able to repair the chair, but that it was ultimately able to do so.
“We are sharing this episode not only for the sake of reporting, but to start a real awareness campaign on the value of art and the respect it deserves,” it says.
In the accompanying video, Carlon thanks the museum’s restoration staff, who she says “did an outstanding job” of mending the fragile chair, which is not designed to bear weight.
“Fortunately, the chair is shining once again,” she added.
The chair was created by Italian artist Nicola Bolla and is delicately woven together using Swarovski crystals and foil. It is named after Vincent van Gogh as a tribute to his painting of a simple chair.
When asked by the BBC about its price, the museum would not provide an estimated value.
A historian based at the museum, Carlotta Menegazzo, told the BBC that the display includes a note telling people not to touch the chair.
Meanwhile, Carlon says most visitors are well-behaved and considerate, and that she hopes the release of the footage won’t become a “negative episode.”
“Anyone should enter art places, or museums, or churches, wherever art is displayed, in a more respectful way,” she continued. “Art must be respected and loved because it is very fragile,” she concluded.
The museum is relatively new, having opened in 2020, and houses 650 pieces, including works by Picasso and ancient Egyptian artifacts.
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