NATIONAL MUSEUM, OSLO (VG) Munch’s “Scream” joins the ranks of works of art that have recently attempted to be harmed by climate activists.
Two activists tried to stick to Munch’s “Scream” at the National Museum in Oslo on Friday, the newspaper reports. The spirit of the age. According to the newspaper, the activists come from the Stopp oljeletinga organization.
The magazine writes that they were present during the action and that they knew it in advance.
– We are at the National Museum following a message from the guards there. They had taken control of three people, two of whom had tried to glue themselves to a painting, the police wrote on Twitter.
Recently, several works of art in Europe have become a means of action for climate activists around the world. In October, Claude Monet’s “Høystack” had a buttered mashed potato spread on it in the German city of Potsdam. The painting suffered permanent damage.
Earlier that month, two Just Stop Oil tomato soup climate activists also launched Vincent van Gogh’s painting “Sunflowers” at Britain’s National Gallery.
Police write that people have failed to stick, but there are glue residues on the glass display.
The police arrested the three people.
There were probably more people involved in the campaign.
– The guards on the spot observed another person who was seen running. So we’re not ignoring the fact that there were four people involved in the action, says Tor Gulbrandsen, VG’s chief operating officer.
He says the three arrested are on their way to the detention center and will be interrogated during the day.
I will review
The press contact at the Ole-Morten Fadnes National Museum tells VG that they will report the case.
As important as the issue is, the attempt to damage irreplaceable art and cultural heritage is something that resonates badly in the museum environment, he says.
The Munch Room is now closed, but the museum hopes to open it as soon as possible. The rest of the museum is regularly open.
– Fortunately they did not reach the finish line, because we have good people who intervened in time. Fortunately, no damage was done to the painting. We have important security measures and good people who prevented it, National Museum director Karin Hindsbo tells VGTV.
Culture Minister Anette Trettebergstuen tells NTB it’s outrageous that someone believes they have the right to potentially destroy the painting to get attention.
– This is an unacceptable form of action. While many of us argue the climate struggle as one of the most important battles of our time, attacking priceless art doesn’t help the cause at all.
He tells the news agency that activists should rather see the potential in museums spreading important climate issues to get there.
– There are many museums that put climate issues on the agenda through their exhibitions.
He sent out a press release
Following the incident, Stopp oljeletinga issued a press release, in which the activists nominate themselves and, among other things, state the following:
– I just want to scream when art is valued more than life. Millions of people are suffering and dying from climate collapse now, says Lena Mair (24).
– I want to scream when politicians and the government ignore science. Norway is looking for more oil despite decades of scientific evidence that fossil fuels cause climate collapse, says Kristiina Visakorpi (33).
Progress Party environmental policy spokesperson Terje Halleland writes in an email to VG that the party expects it “will respond harshly to this form of illegal action.”
– Instead of using democratic means to their cause, this crowd is contributing to nothing more than destroying the entire climate debate, Halleland says.
– It is time for the Storting parties that support the same political message to come out and signal a clear distance, says Halleland.
