Activists from the German climate protection protest group Last Generation attacked a painting by the French Impressionist painter on Sunday. Claude Monet throwing mashed potatoes against the work in Barberini de Potsdam Museumsouth of Berlin.
The work, belonging to the series ‘The Millstones’ (Almiares) by Monet (1889-1891), was sprayed with a viscous mass, as explained by the museum’s spokeswoman, Carolin Stranz. The responsible group has assured that it is mashed potatoes. Specialized personnel are already working to examine possible damage to the frame.
Four people participated in the action, including two activists who they threw the viscous mass and glued it to the ground. The group posted a video of the attack on Twitter and claimed it was mashed potatoes. In addition, the organization demands the political class to take effective measures to limit climate change.
According to the German radio RBB24, the work was protected by glass and had been auctioned for 110 million dollars. In fact, it is the most expensive work by Monet and for that reason it had that protection, according to the aforementioned medium.
Just over a week ago, activists threw tomato soup at Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh’s painting ‘The Sunflowers’ at the National Gallery in London. The frame was slightly damaged in the attack.
The painting attacked today belongs to the permanent exhibition of the Barberini Museum, from the collection of its founder, billionaire Hasso Plattner. The Policeman he has limited himself to confirming that there is an operation underway at the museum.
Protesters said the attack was designed as a wake-up call for a climate catastrophe. “People are starving, people are freezing, people are dying,” said one of the activists in a video of the incident tweeted by Letzte Generation. “We are in a climate catastrophe and the only thing that scares you is tomato soup or mashed potatoes in a box. Do you know what I’m afraid of? I am scared because science tells us that we will not be able to feed our families in 2050,” said the protester. “Does it take mashed potatoes in a painting for you to listen? This painting won’t be worth anything if we have to fight over food. When will you finally start listening? When will you finally start listening and stop doing the same old thing?
The group said that they had decided to choose this Monet to try to get their message across. “If you need to throw mashed potato or tomato soup on a painting to remind society that metals are killing us all, then we throw mashed potato on a painting,” he added.
Hunger strike
Last year, members of the Letzte Generation staged a hunger strike in front of the Reichstag building in Berlin to protest the lack of political action in the face of the climate emergency. Earlier this year, they latched onto some of the busiest highways in Germany.
A preview image of the room where the incident occurred
The group, which accuses the German government of ignoring all warnings and bringing the country “to the brink of the abyss”, says it is part of the last generation that can prevent society from collapsing.
“Faced with this reality, we accept high [multas]criminal charges and deprivation of liberty without being discouraged,” it says on its website.
Art galleries have recently become popular venues for attention-grabbing protests. In July, two members of the Italian climate activist group Last generation (also Last Generation) pressed their palms to the glass that protects Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera in Florence’s Uffizi gallery and unfurled a banner reading “Ultima Generazione No Gas No Carbone” (Last Generation, No Gas, No Coal).