Watch: Tourist Destroys Crystal Studded ‘Van Gogh’ Chair While Posing, Then Walks Away

Italy: A video of a tourist damaging a fragile piece of art while posing for a photograph has gone viral on social media. The artwork, “Van Gogh” chair created by artist Nicola Bolla, was on display at the Palazzo Maffei gallery in Verona, Italy. It is a very delicate piece, covered entirely in hundreds of Swarovski crystals. 

The museum posted the CCTV footage, which went viral on Instagram. In the video, a couple can be seen entering the room where the chair is on display. The woman poses for a photo, pretending to sit down. When it was the man’s turn however, he hovered for a second and dropped himself on the chair.

The delicate piece of art collapsed immediately under his weight, bending backwards and deforming. After incurring the damage, the pair hastily left the room without informing the museum staff.

The museum called it “every museum's nightmare”, condemning the couple’s behaviour in the caption of the post. They said it was an irresponsible gesture that caused serious damage to a very delicate artwork, and that the visitors “ignored every rule of respect towards art and the cultural heritage.”

The museum followed up with another post saying that initially theory were not sure if repair was possible at all, but with the help of the police, their security department and the restaurateurs, they were able to restore the artwork.

The museum shared the post online to raise awareness about respecting art. In their post, they stated “We are sharing this episode not only for the sake of reporting, but to start a real campaign to raise awareness about the value of art and the respect it deserves. a special thank you to all of you who walk through the museum halls every day with care, attention and wonder. Because art is not just for seeing. This is to be loved. It is to be protected.”

Netizens React To Viral Incident  

Social media users reacted strongly, calling the act disrespectful and arrogant and others hoped that the couple responsible for this was apprehended. 

Here are some comments from the video:

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