Art Under Attack
Image grab taken from AFPTV footage. Riposte Alimentaire activists in front of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa after hurling soup at the artwork at the Louvre museum, Paris, 2024. David Cantiniaux/AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images.
The public is outraged following the recent attack on art caused by climate activists. This instance targeted none other than the world’s most famous painting, the Mona Lisa. However, the question remains: what drives these climate activists to such extreme measures against art?
At 10 a.m. on January 28th, the iconic Mona Lisa at the Louvre fell victim to yet another act of vandalism, this time by activists affiliated with the environmental group Riposte Alimentaire. Two protesters hurled a can of pumpkin soup at the painting, fortunately, the artwork remained unscathed thanks to its protective glass casing. Following the incident, one of the protesters exclaimed, “What is more important: art or the right to a healthy and sustainable diet?” Prompt action was taken by staff members who swiftly removed the protesters, moved black screens to shield visitors from the painting, and evacuated the room. The French police promptly arrested the two individuals involved. The group claims that their intention was to highlight issues of unsustainable food production and hunger in France, advocating for sustainable food practices and social security. This incident coincides with extensive protests by French farmers regarding concerns over wages, competition, and governmental regulations.
Just Stop Oil activists under Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery, London, 2022. Just Stop Oil/AP.
Riposte Alimentaire operates within the A22 network, an alliance of environmental groups, which includes Just Stop Oil, known for previous attacks on art. Just Stop Oil activists have a history of targeting artworks, such as throwing tomato soup and gluing their hands to Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London in 2022. They also interrupted a West End musical performance and smeared chocolate cake on a wax figure of King Charles III at Madame Tussauds the same year. In 2023, they damaged the protective glass of Diego Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus at the National Gallery. Similarly, in 2022, the German group Letzte Generation, affiliated with the network, splattered mashed potatoes on Claude Monet’s Grainstacks at the Barberini Museum in Potsdam and glued their hands to the wall. These incidents are part of a trend of protests across Europe in 2022 and 2023, and it seems that there are more to come.
Just Stop Oil activists glued their hands to the frame of John Constable’s The Hay Wain and overlaid an edited image over the artwork at the National Gallery, London, 2022. Carlos Jasso/AFP/Getty Images.
The groups have stated that their actions are meant to be nonviolent civil disobedience, aimed at highlighting the urgency of the climate crisis and the government’s insufficient efforts to reduce emissions and fuel consumption. However, the motivation behind why these climate activists are resorting to attacking art remains unclear. It appears that these stunts are primarily intended to grab public attention and provoke a reaction, a goal they have undeniably achieved. Utilizing art as a platform for their message is perhaps the most eye-catching method to draw attention to a broader movement. One activist at the National Gallery in London shouted this sentiment: “What is worth more, art or life? Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet?” While radical public protest can spark new discussions and prompt action, even sympathetic individuals are criticizing the groups’ actions as unreasonable or counterproductive. There is no logical explanation proposed by the activists as to why they are involving art in their actions, and the public is getting fed up with it instead of joining the movement.
